A baby girl born with a rare and fatal brain disorder is now thriving after an anonymous $47,000 donation helped continue her life-saving treatment.
Sometimes we hear a diagnosis or see a report and feel like all hope is gone. But stories like this remind us that God’s power doesn’t depend on what doctors expect or what statistics say.
Many of us have faced moments when we were told there’s nothing more that can be done — yet somehow, God makes a way.
Bill and Meg Longhenry welcomed their daughter, Millie, in August 2023. She was diagnosed with alobar holoprosencephaly, the most severe form of a rare congenital brain disorder where the brain fails to divide into two hemispheres.
Doctors told the Florida couple their daughter wouldn’t survive. “Millie should have been a miscarriage or a stillbirth,” Meg said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The disorder affects around 1 in 10,000 to 16,000 live births, and most babies don’t live beyond the first week.
After two months in the hospital, Millie was discharged and placed on hospice care. Her prognosis was four to six months at most.
“They told us over 95% of patients with this diagnosis don’t survive past the first few months … and anyone who survives past that requires an enormous deal of medical care, like feeding tubes and breathing tubes,” said Bill. “Usually they have no brain function.”
But the Longhenrys were not ready to give up. “God had something else in mind,” Bill said. “God had a different plan, and only God was able to really make that decision.”
The couple was introduced to Dr. Brandon Crawford, a functional neurologist at the NeuroSolution Center of Austin. He specializes in non-invasive, drug-free, and surgery-free techniques.
After reviewing Millie’s MRIs, Dr. Crawford noticed something rare. Although much of her brain was missing, the upper portion was “relatively intact and functioning well.” He believed Millie had potential.
“I started to get the idea that this kiddo is really trying — she’s not on the decline, she’s actually really fighting to live her life in this world,” he said.
Millie began a special therapy plan that focused on helping her brain and body work better together. The treatments were gentle and didn’t involve surgery or medication.
A neurosurgeon also worked closely with Dr. Crawford to make sure everything was safe. “She can clearly see and respond to visual cues — even though the part of her brain responsible for vision didn’t fully develop,” Dr. Crawford said.
“That means her brain found a new way to make it work, and that’s amazing.”
Bill described the therapy as “combining physical therapy with neural functions.” Millie is now growing stronger, learning to crawl, and eating better — all things doctors never expected. She says “Mom” and “Dad,” uses sign language, and enjoys playing with her big brother, Theo.
“She’s got a spunky little personality, and it’s amazing,” said Crawford. “Honestly, if you look at her and interact with her in person and then look at her MRI, you wouldn’t think it’s the same kid.”
However, as the treatments continued, the Longhenrys faced a new challenge. The care Millie needed wasn’t covered by insurance, and they were falling behind financially.
Meg informed Dr. Crawford they wouldn’t be able to afford the next session. But he encouraged them to come anyway.
“I said, don’t worry about it, just come. There’s no way I’m dropping care with Millie — we’ve come too far,” he recalled.
On March 27, as they prepared for another therapy session, the team paused to pray. Hours later, a phone call came.
A former patient of Dr. Crawford’s who had followed Millie’s story called and said, “I feel like I’m supposed to donate something for Millie’s case.” She paid the entire outstanding balance of more than $47,000.
“It’s just impossible to understand that level of generosity from a stranger,” said Bill.
Though the family later discovered the donor’s identity, they honored her wish to remain unnamed in the media.
“We have to pursue this treatment, but it’s not covered by insurance, so we’re just doing whatever we can to make it work,” he said.
Despite this financial relief, Millie’s journey continues. She still needs follow-up therapy every few months, home equipment, and travel for treatment — none of which is covered by insurance.
But Meg remains focused on the purpose. “There’s not a price that I could put on her life,” she said. “I’ll continue to fight and do what I need to do so she can have the best life that she can.”
The Longhenrys give all credit to God. “We serve such a big God that he is greater than our biggest fears,” said Meg. “He is the greatest physician, and he aligns us with where we need to be and who we need to be. And it’s so encouraging to see the growth that we were told repeatedly we wouldn’t see.”
Millie’s life is a reminder that what seems impossible to man is not impossible with God. Every breath she takes testifies to His power to heal, guide, and work through others. We’re encouraged to trust Him fully, even when the odds seem stacked against us.
Let us continue to pray for Millie and her family as they walk this journey.
May we also keep our hearts open to how God might use us to be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
Support the family on GoFundMe.
