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# Woman Born Without Most of Her Brain Turns 20, Family Calls Her a “Miracle”
For 20 years, Alex Simpson’s life has defied the expectations doctors once gave her family.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Alex has a rare neurological condition called **hydranencephaly**, in which most of the cerebral hemispheres—the largest parts of the brain—fail to develop and are replaced largely by cerebrospinal fluid. Her condition is so severe that doctors initially warned her parents that she might not survive beyond the age of four.
Yet Alex recently celebrated her 20th birthday.
For her parents, Shawn and Lorena Simpson, the milestone represents far more than another birthday. It is a reminder of how dramatically their daughter’s life has exceeded the predictions they were given when she was an infant. They describe Alex as a fighter and a miracle whose life has brought profound meaning to their family.
## A Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Alex’s parents did not immediately know that their daughter had a serious neurological condition.
According to reports, the family learned about Alex’s condition when she was about two months old. Doctors discovered that much of her brain had failed to develop and diagnosed her with hydranencephaly.
The news was devastating.
Her father, Shawn Simpson, explained that Alex has only a very small amount of brain tissue remaining, including a portion of the cerebellum at the back of her skull. The cerebral hemispheres, which normally make up most of the brain, are largely absent.
Doctors prepared the family for the possibility that Alex would have a very short life.
Her parents were reportedly told that she would probably not live past the age of four. During Alex’s early years, the family lived with the constant fear that each day could be her last.
Lorena later recalled how difficult those early months were. The family spent months wondering whether Alex would survive another day, another week or another birthday.
But Alex kept going.
She reached her first birthday.
Then her second.
Then her fourth—the age doctors had warned her parents she might never reach.
And she continued growing.
Five years became six. Six became ten. Ten became fifteen.
Then, on November 4, 2025, Alex reached a milestone that once seemed almost unimaginable: **her 20th birthday**.
## Living Beyond the Medical Predictions
Hydranencephaly is an extremely rare and serious condition. It occurs when the cerebral hemispheres do not develop normally during pregnancy. The condition can cause profound disabilities and is often associated with severe difficulties involving movement, vision, hearing and other functions.
Many babies born with the condition do not survive their first year.
Alex’s survival into adulthood therefore represents an unusual outcome.
Reports say that Alex cannot see or hear, but her family believes she remains sensitive to the people and emotions around her. They say she can respond to the presence of family members and appears to recognize when someone she knows is nearby.
Her father has described moments when Alex appears to look for him when he speaks to her.
For the Simpson family, such moments are deeply meaningful.