Born as a Joke

Born into a harsh Soviet world shaped by poverty, violence, and survival, Alex Aspen's life began with a fight against death itself. Diagnosed with sepsis as an infant after already losing one child, his family raced through the frozen northern roads of Russia in a desperate attempt to save his life.

What followed was a childhood divided between love and pain.

Raised in Riga by the grandparents who became his true family, Alex grew up searching for identity and belonging while navigating abus...