When Braden West entered the world, nothing about his future seemed hopeful. Doctors warned his parents that he wouldn’t survive his first day. If he somehow did, they insisted he would never make it to 18 months. His mother, Cheri, had received the devastating diagnosis two weeks before his birth: Braden had Pfeiffer syndrome Type 2 — a rare and severe condition that alters skull formation and brain development. His skull was misshapen, parts appeared to be absent, and every specialist told her his situation was hopeless.
