Keithville boy born without brain dies at 12

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - An ArkLaTex child born without a brain and defied all odds passed away peacefully in his sleep Monday.

Trevor Judge Waltrip was born on Christmas Eve 2001, with just a brain stem and

. It's a rare condition in which the brain's cerebral hemispheres are absent, replaced by sacs filled with cerebro-spinal fluid. The brain stem allowed Trevor to breathe, respond to some stimulus, and maintain a heartbeat. In 2003, his mother Elizabeth told KSLA News 12 that "He's so alert and hates to be alone. He'll sense that, too."

Still, Trevor was blind and unable to verbally communicate.

Doctors were unsure if Trevor would make it 12 weeks. At 17 months, his physician Larry Daniels said that he was very unique to have survived that long, considering babies born with this condition generally don't live to birth."

There's no cure or treatment for hydranencephaly.

Trevor lived for 12 years, with the help of a feeding tube and therapists who stimulated his muscles and joints. His mother says she knows his story touched the hearts of many across the region. When we checked in with the Waltrip family again in 2005, his mother said he was doing well, gaining weight and had 15 teeth, "and he does bite, so he does know what he's doing."

Elizabeth Waltrip also found a support group for parents of babies like Trevor. "Just to know about other babies out there like this because I thought I was the only one. It's really ...I feel much better."

Knowing what the odds are against babies like Trevor, Elizabeth took things one day at a time. "I look at it like he's here for a reason," she said in 2005, "and I thank God everyday for it."

Now that he has passed away, his family is

asking for help to cover funeral costs. Donations can be made to any Chase Bank under the "Trevor Judge Waltrip Donation Account."

Arrangements have been made, with funeral services being held on Saturday, August 30 at 2:30 p.m. at Rose-Neath's Southside Chapel, 2500 Southside Drive.

Visitation will be on Friday, August 29 from 5-7 p.m., also at Rose-Neath Southside Chapel.

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