When Nebraska woman Alex Simpson was just two months old, she was diagnosed with a rare congenital brain condition that meant she may not survive to her first birthday .

But despite medical odds, she and her family just celebrated her 20th birthday on November 4 this year.

Simpson's condition, hydranencephaly , means her cerebral hemispheres – the two large lobes that typically make up most of the human brain, responsible for cognitive function, voluntary movement, and sensory processing – are almost nonexistent. While her brainstem and some other brain parts remain, the rest of her cranial cavity is filled instead with cerebrospinal fluid .

Hydraencephaly is incurable, and is managed with intensive supportive care.

While babies born with hydranencephaly may seem normal at bi

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