On November 4th, Alex Simpson celebrated her twentieth birthday in Nebraska. When she was born, her parents thought she was healthy. But two months later, doctors discovered she had hydranencephaly, a rare anomaly characterized by the complete or near-complete absence of the cerebral hemispheres. At the time, doctors predicted Alex wouldn't live to see her fifth birthday. However, she defied fate. 
"Twenty years ago we were scared, but our faith helped us cope," said Sean Simpson, Alex's father.
Although Alex is missing the areas of her brain responsible for vision and hearing, her family is confident she is more aware than she appears.
"If someone around her is nervous, Alex knows right away. Even if nothing's happening, she senses something," shared Alex's brother, 14-year-old SJ. 
"When my grandmother starts complaining about her back, Alex takes the pain away—it's crazy," he noted.
The teenager admitted he's proud to be Alex's brother. He's dedicated a lot of time to studying her condition to better understand how to help her.
Alex's strength inspires the entire Simpson family. They consider her a true miracle. 
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