Braden West’s parents were informed by physicians at birth that he would not live.
Despite all the odds against him, the young child’s life-threatening illness would result in a series of miracles. In honor of his 22nd birthday, Braden decided to become a firefighter.
Braden West was born with Pfeiffer syndrome Type 2, a rare craniofacial disorder that results in underdeveloped brain and skull abnormalities. Two weeks prior to his birth, his mother Cheri was informed of her son’s health and realized something was amiss.
In 2020, Cheri told News Nation Now, “I mean, he’s kicking in my belly and I’m praying for God to take him home,” adding:
It appeared like he would not be able to use the back of his head. It appeared that he would have teeth from birth. It appeared to be a dire circumstance.
However, Cheri bonded with her special boy as soon as Braden was born.
Regretfully, Cheri also believed that she was powerless to help her son. A large number of children with Braden’s disease will not survive past birth. Braden was only supposed to survive for eighteen months.
Cheri remarked, “I begged God to give me him for a short time.”
Cheri told The Owensboro Times, “There’s a picture of him when he was born and it shows his skull very well, a distinct clover shape.”
They allowed us to take him home when he was a month old. They knew he wouldn’t survive since he wasn’t thriving. In order to save him from dying in a hospital, we took him home to meet everyone.
Braden, however, has been bucking all the odds since infancy. The young child began to make progress with the help of his devoted family.
According to Cheri, “he underwent more than 30 surgeries, had a tracheotomy at the age of three months, and once underwent a procedure with a 10% survival rate.” “We had to say our goodbyes, sign the DNR paperwork, and do everything else. The physicians said he was fine instead of giving him bad news.
In addition to his devoted family’s support, he developed a unique relationship with registered nurse Michele Eddings Linn.
Braden’s health began to deteriorate when he was a baby, and his future appeared unclear.
They told us anything a mother didn’t want to hear. It’s incredible what you can accomplish with confidence in God. Cheri remarked, “Anyone who knew us or heard about us was praying for us.”
The night Braden nearly died, Michele was by his side. “I simply recall praying, ‘Lord just take him home or make him better,'” she recalled.”Because no one was able to watch him endure this.”
According to Linn, baby Braden was her first patient to ever be released from hospice care when he passed away that evening. The two are now so close that Braden even asked his “angel,” Michele, to photograph his senior pictures.
Linn posted on Facebook, “I’m crying because he’s graduating [from] high school and his life is just beginning! I cried 17 years ago because I thought his time on Earth was ending.”
Mom Cheri told The Epoch Times, “It has been emotional to watch him become this amazing young man, but I’m so proud.”
All of the feelings from the first few months of his life returned to me as I watched him walk the line. I kept thinking, “He shouldn’t be doing this; he shouldn’t even be able to hold a pencil, speak, see, or hear, and yet here we are.”
Braden’s parents planned for him to be helicoptered into the middle of a live performance by one of his favorite singers, country singer Cam Thomspon, in order to commemorate this incredible milestone in his life.
Braden called his graduation day “perfect.”
He continued, “I feel pretty good knowing that I worked so hard to get to this day because it wasn’t always easy.”
Braden, a member of the civil air patrol unit in Owensboro, Kentucky, learned to walk on his own with a lot of therapy after using a walker until he was five years old.
He has always had high dreams, and now he is fulfilling them by volunteering as a firefighter with the Moseleyville fire department.
Cheri, his mother, claims that her son’s accomplishments are a unique reminder to others who face numerous obstacles.
“Never give up… The view at the summit of the mountain is breathtaking, so keep going no matter how difficult it is to climb!
Braden has not only survived but flourished with his outstanding grades because of his faith and perseverance.
By sharing this article, you can help us congratulate this remarkable young man and wish him a healthy and happy future.
