When my husband and I were getting ready to start a family, we knew it would take some planning on our part. Just around the time we decided to start trying, there was a major outbreak of the Zika virus, which officials warned could cause significant birth defects if contracted while even trying to get pregnant. The affected areas were far from the US, but I remember the anxiety I felt at hearing it was happening around the same time. One of the most major concerns was hydranencephaly. Though rare, it is a condition that stops the development of the brain and replaces it with a fluid-filled sac.
I vividly remember images of mothers from impacted areas with kids who had the condition and remember how scared they all said they were of the future. That’s exactly how Alex Simpson’s family felt when they learned their baby girl was born with hydranencephaly, according to People. But now, she’s celebrating her 20th birthday — a rare and remarkable feat for someone with her condition.
“Twenty years ago, we were scared but faith, I think, is really what kept us alive,” her father, Shawn Simpson, told KETV News.
Doctors warned the Nebraska family that she likely wouldn’t live past the age of 4, but they say her 16-year survival is due to one simple factor: love. Alex is undoubtedly surrounded by it. Despite the fact that she cannot see or hear, her family swears that she can sense their presence and see “signs” of the impact of their love.
While mimicking her eye movements, Shawn explained to the outlet how he notices her trying to connect.
“You can see that when I went up there and talked to her a little bit ago, she was looking for me,” he shared.
Perhaps no one loves her more than her 14-year-old little brother SJ, who is beyond proud to call her his big sister.
“When people ask about my family, the first thing I start with is Alex, my disabled sister,” he proclaimed.
SJ shares his family’s belief that Alex is more than slightly aware of her surroundings. “Say somebody’s stressed around her — nothing will even happen — it could be completely silent, but Alex will know. She’ll feel something,” he stated.
