An Inspiring Story: Doctors Once Doubted Her Survival, But She Is Now Thriving at 20

After additional examinations and medical imaging, physicians diagnosed Alex with a rare neurological condition known as Hydranencephaly, a disorder in which most of the brain’s cerebral hemispheres are missing or severely underdeveloped.

Instead of normal brain tissue, much of the skull cavity in people with hydranencephaly is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The condition typically develops during pregnancy when damage occurs to the developing brain.

Doctors explained to Alex’s parents that the disorder is extremely rare and often fatal. In many cases, babies with hydranencephaly do not survive beyond infancy or early childhood.

For Shawn and Lorena Simpson, the diagnosis was heartbreaking. Medical professionals warned them that Alex would most likely not live beyond the age of four, a prediction that left the family facing unimaginable uncertainty.