This Baby Born With Most of His Brain Outside His Skull Is Beating All Odds

​When Sierra Yoder's 22-week ultrasound showed a baby with a rare birth defect, doctors told her and her husband, Dustin, that their second child was "incompatible with life." The couple was given only about 24 hours to decide whether or not to get an abortion, STAT reports, and they initially chose to have one. But when Sierra felt the baby kick that night, the couple changed their minds.

​Sierra and Dustin's baby, Bentley, was born on November 1, with what doctors said, was a rare (and often fatal) birth defect known as an encephalocele. Essentially, a very large chunk of Bentley's brain had grown up and out of a hole in the top of his skull. The assumption was that Bentley would not live long after his birth, but he defied all odds — and continues to do so today.

Although, according to STAT, he was hospitalized with infections twice before even turning six months old, Bentley continued to fight. His continued rebounds gave Sierra and Dustin, who live in the small Ohio town of Sugar Creek, hope that he might survive, so they began to visit local hospitals to see what doctors could do for their son. No one had the expertise needed to perform surgery on Bentley.

Eventually, the couple came upon Dr. John Meara, a surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital. He believed Bentley's life could be saved, so he began developing a plan for surgery. His plan was to open the baby's skull to make more room, and then cover up the hole with two pieces of skull from elsewhere on the baby's head. With the help of the 3-D printers and advanced surgical simulation facilities at Boston Children's, Dr. Meara was able to practice the surgery before actually performing it on Bentley.

Bentley underwent his surgery on May 24, and has had two follow-up procedures done to drain excess fluid from his brain. Today, he joins his parents and healthy older brother, Beau, at home in Ohio. Although no one is really sure what effects Bentley's condition will have on his brain development and abilities later in life, he's currently learning to move his head, interact with family members and smile. He's also slated to begin physical therapy later this month.

"Nobody has any idea of what this kid is actually going to be able to do, because he's so different," Sierra told STAT. "Even the fact that he's meeting some of his milestones is a blessing, so we're just taking it one day at a time."

Here's to Bentley having lots of healthy years to come.

​[h/t STAT]