When Braden West was born with the rare condition Pfeiffer syndrome Type 2, doctors told his parents he wouldn’t survive. His skull was severely malformed, and he wasn’t expected to live past 18 months.
His mom Cheri prayed just to have a little time with him. At one month old, doctors even sent Braden home so he wouldn’t die in the hospital. But instead of fading, he started fighting.
Braden underwent over 30 surgeries, got a tracheotomy at 3 months old, and even survived a procedure with only a 10% survival rate. Each time, he defied the odds.
A hospice nurse, Michele Eddings Linn, formed a deep bond with him—believing she might lose him one night, only for him to miraculously pull through. He became the first patient she ever saw leave hospice. Years later, she proudly took his senior photos.
Braden learned to walk, graduated high school, and celebrated with a helicopter entrance at a concert. Today, the boy who wasn’t expected to live is 22 years old and living his dream as a volunteer firefighter.
His mom Cheri says his story is proof that no matter how hard the climb is, “never give up—the view at the top is amazing.”