When Alex Simpson was born, her parents were given a devastating prognosis: because of a rare condition called hydranencephaly, doctors believed she might not live beyond the age of four.

But Alex has defied that expectation in a way her family could only have dreamed of.

Now 20 years old, the young woman from Omaha, Nebraska, has recently celebrated another birthday surrounded by the people who have loved and supported her throughout her extraordinary journey.

Hydranencephaly is a rare condition in which most of the brain’s cerebral hemispheres do not develop. Alex’s parents, Shawn and Lorena Simpson, were told that only a very small portion of brain tissue remained.

The years that followed brought countless challenges for the family. Alex has never been able to see or hear in the typical way and has required constant care and support throughout her life.

Yet her parents have always believed that she could sense their presence.

“When I come close and talk to her, you can see her looking for me,” Shawn explained, describing the subtle ways Alex appears to respond to the people she knows and loves.

For Shawn and Lorena, those little moments have meant everything.

“We believe love has carried her further than anyone expected,” they shared. “She has shown us that every day is precious.”

Her younger brother SJ, now 14, has also grown up alongside Alex and says he could not be prouder of his sister.

“When people ask me about my family, Alex is the first person I talk about,” he said.

SJ believes Alex can also sense the emotions of people around her, even when nothing is said.

“If someone around her is stressed, she seems to know,” he explained. “She notices things in her own way.”

For the Simpson family, Alex’s 20th birthday was far more than another celebration. It was a milestone they were once told might never come.

“She really is a fighter,” Lorena said.

Scientists estimate hydranencephaly occurs in approximately one in 5,000 to 10,000 pregnancies, and many affected babies do not survive beyond their first year.

Alex’s story, however, has unfolded differently.

Against the odds and beyond the predictions made at the beginning of her life, she has reached 20 — surrounded by a family who never stopped believing in her.

For Shawn and Lorena, the answer to how Alex made it this far remains beautifully simple: “Love.”

Source: People