Despite all of the odds, a Florida-born baby by the name of Jaxon Emmett Buell is celebrating his first Birthday this week.
Jaxon was born with a birth defect known as anencephaly, which doctors thought would limit his lifespan to just days after being born. Missing a large part of his skull, and his brain, it’s a miracle that he has even made it this far.
"Every doctor we've talked to is fascinated that Jaxon is here today, and they can no longer predict a prognosis," Brandon Buell, the father, wrote in a Facebook post. "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."
Anencephaly affects approximately 1 in 4,859 babies born each year. It’s an incurable problem that can occur early in pregnancy where the brain and nervous system do not form correctly while the baby grows inside of the womb.
The major parts of the brain that are essential to communicating and thinking are not present in Jaxon’s head due to the birth defect, but nonetheless, one year later, Jaxon is still crying, sleeping, burping, and burning through diapers like any other normal baby would.
That’s not to say that there aren’t health complications, however. Jaxon often has complications with eating and has suffered seizures in the recent past, both of which are linked to the birth defects and are linked to his partial brain.
The concerned parents have been keeping in touch with medical professionals, who really don’t know what to say in terms of whether or not Jaxon will be able to keep pushing on much longer. Every time a doctor has made any kind of estimate for how long Jaxon will be around, he has pushed past it.
The parents have set up a Facebook Page entitled “Jaxon Strong,” where those interested in learning about Jaxon and staying up to date on how he’s doing can subscribe and see constant updates. The parents often post pictures and even videos of the infant.
Source: CBS News, Jaxon Strong
