When Braden West entered the world, doctors warned his parents that he wouldn’t survive. The odds were stacked against him from the very beginning, yet what followed was a series of miraculous moments that defied every expectation. Today, at 22, Braden is celebrating life in the most remarkable way—by becoming a firefighter.Born with Pfeiffer syndrome Type 2, a rare craniofacial condition that leads to skull malformations and an underdeveloped brain, Braden’s journey was anything but ordinary. His mother, Cheri, sensed something was wrong and received the devastating diagnosis just two weeks before his birth.
“I mean, he’s kicking in my belly and I’m praying for God to take him home,” Cheri recalled in a 2020 interview with News Nation Now. Doctors told her it was an impossible situation—his skull appeared to be missing parts, and his chances of survival were nearly nonexistent.But the moment Braden was born, something changed. Instead of grief, Cheri felt an overwhelming connection to her son. Though she had prepared for the worst, she found herself holding onto hope, even when doctors predicted he wouldn’t make it past 18 months.
“I said, ‘Dear God, please, just let me have him for a little while,’” Cheri remembered.
The reality of his condition became evident when he was placed in her arms. His skull was visibly shaped like a cloverleaf, a hallmark of his syndrome. After just one month, doctors sent him home—not because he was improving, but because they wanted him to spend his final moments surrounded by family rather than in a hospital room.
But instead of saying goodbye, Braden proved that he had other plans.With unwavering support from his family, he began to show progress. He endured over 30 surgeries, received a tracheotomy at just three months old, and underwent a high-risk procedure with only a 10% survival rate. His parents were forced to sign Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) papers, believing they would have to let him go. Yet, against all odds, doctors emerged from the operating room with unexpected news—Braden had survived.
Beyond his family, Braden formed an unbreakable bond with nurse Michele Eddings Linn, who stood by his side during some of his most critical moments. One night, as his condition deteriorated, Michele feared the worst.I just remember praying, ‘Lord, just either take him home or make him better,’” she admitted.
That night, Braden did something extraordinary—he pulled through. He became Michele’s first hospice patient to ever leave alive. Their connection remained so strong that years later, Braden asked her to take his senior photos.
