TheDiggerNews | New York Post
Born without a brain, a Nebraska woman has defied every medical prediction to celebrate her 20th birthday, a milestone doctors once said she would never reach.
Alex Simpson, who turned 20 on November 4, was diagnosed as a baby with hydranencephaly, a rare condition that left her with only a tiny amount of brain tissue at the base of her skull.
Doctors told her parents she would not live past age four, the New York Post reported.
“Twenty years ago, we were scared, but faith, I think, is really what kept us alive,” her father, Shawn Simpson, told KETV.
Despite missing parts of the brain responsible for sight and hearing, Alex’s family says she’s far more perceptive than people realise.
“Say somebody’s stressed around her. Nothing will even happen; it could be completely silent, but Alex will know. She’ll feel something,” said her 14-year-old brother, SJ.
“Like, if my grandma’s hurting, in her back, she’ll radiate off of it, it’s crazy,” he added, as cited by NDTV.
Alex’s resilience has inspired her entire family, who continue to call her a “miracle.”