When Alex Simpson was just two months old, her parents received news that would change their lives forever.
Their daughter had been born with hydranencephaly, a rare neurological condition in which much of the brain’s cerebral hemispheres are absent and replaced by fluid.
Doctors gave Alex’s parents, Shawn and Lorena Simpson, an extremely difficult prognosis. According to the family’s account, they were told their daughter was unlikely to survive beyond early childhood.
But Alex continued to surprise them.
Years passed.
Then birthdays.
And in 2025, Alex reached a milestone her family once feared they would never see:
Her 20th birthday.
