JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Doctors told Jaxon Buell's parents he wouldn't live more than a few days, because he was born without part of his skull and brain. He's now 14 months old, living with his family in Tavares, Florida, a small town near Orlando. His story of survival and hope has gone viral and Jaxon and his family now have support from around the world and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"He has defied the odds. And we don't mind using those words at all, because we listened to what the doctors always had to say, what his prognosis would be," said Brandon Buell, Jaxon's dad.
Jaxon's mother, Brittany, first found out something was wrong when she was just 17 weeks pregnant. He was eventually diagnosed with a severe brain malformation called microhydranencephaly. It's extremely rare and there's no known cure.
Doctors told the couple
their first child would likely die in the womb, or shortly after birth. Some suggested they consider an abortion. But the parents, who are devout Christians, decided to go on, no matter the outcome.
"We're never going to play God. We always gave him a chance, a fighting chance," said Brandon.
On August 27, 2014, weighing less 4 pounds, Jaxon was born. He had more energy and life than anyone expected. He grew stronger every single day and shocked the experts who had lost faith.
"He's our miracle baby. He's our hero. He's definitely our little hero," said Brittany.
Jaxon, now 14 months old, proves he's not giving up, with stories using the hashtag #JaxonStrong. He's starting to crawl, roll over and shows he's growing into his own personality.
While hard to understand, his mom and dad say Jaxon is talking, an amazing feat for a child with a brain 1/5th the normal size.
"We don't treat him like a special baby
," said Brittany. "We treat him like any normal child. So we teach him everything a normal mom would teach their baby who had a full brain. We don't limit him to anything."
Jaxon's story has spread around the world, as he is an inspiration for so many. In fact, his Facebook page has about 275,000 fans and a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $142,000 to help with medical bills.
Brandon swears his son is a sports fan, specifically a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. O
n October 18, the team welcomed the Central Florida family onto the field before the game against the Houston Texans. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this child - who himself is one-of-a-kind.
The doctors stopped giving him a prognosis. They use to say two weeks, two months, two years: Now they say Jaxon is Jaxon.
He can't eat on his own, so he needs a feeding tube. He has seizures often. But while his future is unknown, Jaxon shows no signs of giving up.
"He's defied almost everything doctors said he would do," said Brittany.
So what's in store for Jaxon?
"Whatever Jaxon wants
it to be," said Brandon. "And since we're Christians whatever God has in store for him and for us."
Jaxon's parents know they may outlive their only child, but they're cherishing every day they have with him. He is a blessing they're so thankful for. They ask everyone to share his story, to raise awareness about his condition in the hopes that one day doctors can find a cure.