A Florida couple recently celebrated the first birthday of their son, Jaxon Buell, who was born without most of his brain. But one year ago, doctors told Brittany and Brandon Buell that Jaxon wouldn't survive past birth.
While Brittany was pregnant, doctors detected some irregularities with Jaxon's head shape during an ultrasound, but couldn't figure out what was wrong, CBS News reported. It wasn't until after she gave birth that they determined Jaxon had anencephaly, which "prevents the normal development of the brain and the bones of the skull," according to the National Institutes of Health. Most babies suffering from this condition don't survive long after birth.
"Every doctor we've talked to is fascinated that Jaxon is here today, and they can no longer predict a prognosis," Brandon said in a Facebook post published over the weekend to mark his son's 13th month. "We know the reality behind this better than anyone else, what Jaxon is up against, and that his life is already miraculous at this point."
Brandon also described Jaxon's progress.
"He is talking up a storm these days, truly teaching himself how to communicate with us in his own way," he said. "He is so normal in so many ways. He is a baby who is dealing with teething, he cries when he's hungry, he hurts from gas pains, he throws ups, he cries, he poops, he sleeps, he repeats."
However, Jaxon experienced seizures and feeding complications, among other problems, over the past few months. So, the Buells decided to fly to the Boston Children's Hospital to have Jaxon more closely examined in August. He was later diagnosed with microhydranencephaly, a "severe abnormality of brain development," according to the National Institutes of Health.
“It’s really helpful to finally have a diagnosis that makes sense,” Brandon told The Boston Globe.
The couple recently shared a video of Jaxon sitting by himself for a full two minutes, alongside the hashtag #JaxonStrong, on Facebook:
Some Twitter users also shared the hashtag to support the Buells, and to celebrate Jaxon's ability to defy the odds.
