Family Celebrates Daughter's 20th Birthday Despite Being Born Without a Brain

A Rare Diagnosis

• 💡 Alex Simpson was born with hydranencephaly, a rare condition where an individual is born completely without a brain.
• ⚠️ This condition affects an estimated one in 5,000 to 10,000 pregnancies and typically carries a high risk of miscarriage.
• 🎯 Doctors initially predicted Alex would not survive past four years old.

A Perfect Pregnancy, Unexpected Challenges

• ✨ Lena Simpson's pregnancy with Alex was described as perfect, with no complications or morning sickness.
• 🏥 Initial screenings after birth also indicated Alex was a normal, healthy baby.
• 📉 Problems began a few weeks later when Alex struggled to eat, wasn't latching, and started losing weight, prompting frequent hospital visits.
• 🔍 Doctors initially suspected issues with her stomach or internal body, unaware of the underlying neurological condition.

Discovering the Truth and Navigating Life

• 🏥 During a hospital stay around New Year's Eve, doctors performed an MRI and discovered Alex was missing a brain.
• 💔 The initial period was challenging for the family, as they navigated marriage difficulties and learned to manage a child with profound disabilities.
• 💰 Significant sacrifices were made, including purchasing and modifying a van to accommodate Alex's needs.

Resilience, Faith, and Unconditional Love

• 🙏 The family attributes Alex's survival and well-being to their strong faith and divine intervention, citing an instance where everyone else in the house contracted COVID-19 except Alex, who has a compromised immune system.
• 🩺 Alex has the immune system and functions of a 4-to-6-month-old infant and requires constant care, including nurses for daily routines.
• ⚠️ A severe bout of pancreatitis at age 3 led to hospitalization for 47 days, during which she flatlined three times and required a tracheostomy and feeding tube.
• 🧠 Alex's brain stem handles basic functions, but her brain lacks the capacity to process sensory input like sight or sound in a typical way.

Lessons in Love and Living Fully

• ❤️ Despite the challenges, the Simpson family leads with love, finding that Alex teaches them about patience, hope, kindness, strength, and unconditional love.
• 🎶 Alex responds to music and can be seen looking around when watching movies, indicating awareness despite her condition.
• 🌟 The family emphasizes that Alex, like everyone, needs love, food, clothing, and shelter, and they are committed to providing her with all of that.