#JAXONSTRONG

‘Miracle Baby’ Jaxon Buell Dies at Age 5

Jaxon, who had a birth defect that left him with 80 percent of his brain missing, was not expected to live past his first birthday.

Jaxon Buell, a 5-year-old boy widely known as the “miracle baby” for exceeding his life expectancy after being born with a severe brain malformation, has died in Florida, his parents confirmed. “Jax passed away very peacefully, comfortable in my arms,” his father, Brandon Buell, said in a statement. “He was surrounded by his parents and his family and enjoyed so much love and snuggles in the final moments of his life and journey with us.” Jaxon was not expected to live past his first birthday due to a birth defect called microhydranencephaly that left him with 80 percent of his brain missing. “[This] was something we always knew from the beginning would likely happen. We just didn’t know when,” his father added. Jaxon was not able to walk or talk, but his inspirational story reached audiences worldwide via social media, often accompanied with the hashtag #JaxonStrong.