Born missing most of her brain, she wasn't expected to survive. Now, she's 20.

Alex Simpson's 20th birthday is making headlines for good reason: when she was born, doctors predicted she would not live beyond the age of four because she was born missing most of her brain.

Key Takeaways:

• Alex Simpson was born with hydranencephaly, a condition in which most of the brain is missing.

• Though doctors said Alex would likely not live beyond her fourth birthday, she recently celebrated turning 20.

• Her family credits her longer-than-anticipated life to faith and love.

The Details:

When Alex was born, everyone believed she was completely healthy. But about two months later, doctors discovered that Alex had been born with hydranencephaly, a rare condition in which she was missing a large portion of her brain. Doctors told her parents they did not think she would live long, but she has been defying the odds ever since.

"[Hydranencephaly] means that her brain is not there,” her father Shawn Simpson told KETV News. “Technically, she has about half the size of my pinky finger of her cerebellum in the back part of her brain, but that's all that's there.”

They said they believe she has survived far longer than anticipated because of "love."

Child born with rare condition remains alive 20 years later

“Twenty years ago, we were scared but faith, I think, is really what kept us alive," said Shawn.

His wife Lorena added, “She’s a fighter."

Alex cannot see or hear, but her family believes she is aware of a lot more than people believe. "Say somebody's stressed around her. Nothing will even happen — it could be completely silent — but Alex will know," said her 14-year-old brother SJ. "She'll feel something. Like, if my grandma's hurting, in her back, she'll radiate off of it — it's crazy."

He said he is proud to be her brother and tells everyone about her.

Alex's family calls her a "miracle."

Why It Matters:

Alex's life is meaningful and valuable, but unfortunately, most babies with the same condition who are diagnosed in the womb are aborted before they ever get the chance to defy the odds like Alex has.

Researchers have even said abortion is "justified" for the condition into the third trimester.

According to research, "Hydranencephaly is a rare condition and is rarely seen nowadays due to therapeutic abortions."