Boy born without a brain lives to be 12 years old, dies peacefully

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana -- A boy, who lived until he died peacefully at the age of 12, defied all odds after being born without a brain.

He died on Monday, living longer than any doctor ever predicted.

According to KSLA, Trevor Judge Waltrip was born on Christmas Eve of 2001 with just a brain stem and hydranencephaly. He had a rare condition in which his brain’s cerebral hemispheres were completely missing, replaced with only cerebro-spinal fluid.

The condition has no known cure or treatment.



Waltrip was unable to communicate and was also blind, but he did have a heartbeat and was able to breathe on his own. He also could respond to some forms of stimulus.

The boy lived with the help of a feeding tube and therapists who stimulated his muscles and joints.

“He’s so alert and hates to be alone,” his mother, Elizabeth, told KSLA.

Originally doctors were unsure if Waltrip would be able to make it past just 12 weeks old, since babies with the condition usually don’t live to be born.

But he defied the odds by nearly living to be a teenager.