When Braden West entered the world, doctors gave his parents devastating news—he wasn’t expected to survive.
Born with Pfeiffer syndrome Type 2, a rare and life-threatening condition affecting skull development and brain growth, Braden faced impossible odds. But his story is one of miracles. Now, at 22, he has defied every expectation and is living his dream as a firefighter.
His mother, Cheri, sensed something was wrong early in her pregnancy and received the heartbreaking diagnosis just two weeks before his birth.
“I felt him kicking inside me, and I prayed for God to take him home,” Cheri recalled in a 2020 interview with News Nation Now, remembering those agonizing moments.
Doctors feared the worst—Braden’s skull was malformed, his brain underdeveloped, and there were even concerns he’d be born with teeth. The outlook was bleak.
Yet, the moment Cheri laid eyes on her newborn son, she felt an unbreakable bond. Despite the overwhelming uncertainty, love took over.
Even so, the reality was grim. Many children with Braden’s condition don’t survive infancy, and doctors told Cheri he likely wouldn’t make it past 18 months.
“I begged God for just a little more time with him,” she said.
A photo from his first days of life shows his uniquely shaped skull—a telltale sign of his condition.
“At just a month old, they sent him home. He wasn’t thriving, and doctors didn’t expect him to survive. We brought him home so he could meet everyone before he passed,” Cheri shared with The Owensboro Times.
But from day one, Braden defied the odds. With unwavering love and support, he began to fight.
“He endured more than 30 surgeries, had a tracheotomy at three months old, and once faced a procedure with only a 10% chance of survival,” Cheri explained. “We signed the DNR papers, said our goodbyes… then, miraculously, the doctors returned and told us he had made it.”
One of the people who walked this journey with him was registered nurse Michele Eddings Linn.
As Braden grew, his health took a turn for the worse. His family braced for the worst.
“They told us everything a parent dreads hearing. But the power of faith is incredible. Everyone who knew us or heard our story was praying,” Cheri said.
Michele vividly remembers a night when Braden was on the brink. “I prayed, ‘Lord, either take him home or heal him, because we can’t bear to see him suffer any longer,’” she shared.
Then, something extraordinary happened—Braden pulled through. He became the first hospice patient Michele had ever seen leave hospice care alive.
Their bond only deepened over the years, and when the time came for Braden’s senior photos, he knew exactly who to ask—his “angel,” Michele.
“Seventeen years ago, I cried thinking his time was running out. Now, I’m crying because he’s graduating high school, and his life is just beginning!” Michele wrote in an emotional Facebook post.
Watching her son receive his diploma was a surreal moment for Cheri.
“As he walked across that stage, every memory from his first few months came flooding back. I kept thinking—he wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to walk, hold a pencil, speak, see, or hear. And yet, here we are.”
To celebrate this incredible milestone, Braden’s parents arranged for him to make a grand entrance at a live concert for country artist Cam Thompson—arriving by helicopter.
For Braden, graduation day was nothing short of “perfect.”
Michele, overwhelmed with gratitude, shared: “I was this boy’s hospice nurse 17 years ago… today, I just finished editing his senior pictures. What a blessing.”
Braden, who once relied on a walker until age five, worked tirelessly through therapy to gain independence. Now, he’s a proud member of the Civil Air Patrol in Owensboro, Kentucky.
His greatest dream has come true—he’s officially a firefighter, serving as a volunteer with the Moseleyville Fire Department.
Cheri hopes Braden’s journey inspires others to never lose hope.
“It’s official! Never give up. No matter how steep the climb, keep going—because the view at the top is absolutely worth it.”