LINCOLN, Neb. (KETV/CNN NEWSOURCE/WKRC) — A Nebraska family is celebrating a milestone once thought impossible as their daughter, Alex Simpson, defies the odds 20 years after being diagnosed with hydranencephaly — a rare condition that left her born with almost no brain.
Her parents, Lorena and Shawn Simpson, said they still remember the day doctors delivered the devastating news.
“Doctor Davey came in with his nurses and said, ‘You guys need to sit down. This is pretty serious,’” they recalled.
At the time, they were told Alex likely wouldn’t live past the age of four. But on Nov. 4, Alex celebrated her 20th birthday — a milestone her family calls nothing short of miraculous.
Despite missing the parts of the brain responsible for seeing and hearing, Alex’s personality continues to shine. Her younger brother, S.J., said she’s the heart of their family.
“When people ask about my family, the first thing I start with is Alex, my disabled sister,” he said. “Say somebody’s stressed around her. Nothing will even happen — it could be completely silent — but Alex will know. She’ll feel something.”
The Simpsons credit Alex’s strength to their faith and love.
“Twenty years ago we were scared, but faith, I think, is really what kept us alive,” Lorena and Shawn said. “She’s a fighter.”
Alex’s journey has become a source of inspiration in her community and beyond — a reminder, her parents say, that “miracles still happen.”
