Against every medical prediction, woman born without a brain celebrates 20 years of life

Alex Simpson, who turned 20 on Nov. 4, was diagnosed as a baby with hydranencephaly, a rare condition that left her with only a tiny amount of brain tissue at the base of her skull. Doctors told her parents she would not live past age four, New York Post reported.

"Twenty years ago we were scared, but faith, I think, is really what kept us alive," her father Shawn Simpson told KETV.

Despite missing the parts of the brain responsible for seeing and hearing, Alex's family says she's far more perceptive than people realize.

"Say somebody's stressed around her. Nothing will even happen, it could be completely silent, but Alex will know. She'll feel something," said her 14-year-old brother, SJ.

"Like, if my grandma's hurting, in her back, she'll radiate off of it, it’s crazy," he added, as cited by NDTV.

Alex's resilience has inspired her entire family, who continue to call her a "miracle."