Boy Born Without A Brain Defies The Odds By Growing It Back

Ten-year-old Noah Wall has left doctors in awe after 'growing back' the majority of his brain.

Noah, from Cumbria, was born with just two percent of his brain, developing almost no brain matter whilst in the womb, leading doctors to believe he had a very slim chance of survival.

Scans also revealed Noah had Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus - also known as 'water on the brain' - a condition in which too much cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up in the brain and can cause severe disability or death if left untreated.

For this reason, Noah's parents, Shelly and Rob, were asked repeatedly if they'd like to terminate the pregnancy, but they were determined to 'give Noah the chance of life', telling ITV's Good Morning Britain: "If younger people were offered that choice, they may have felt pressured into taking it.

"But because we're older parents, we know our own mind and we're positive people. So we wanted to give Noah the chance of life."

Incredibly, Noah has defied all odds as he 'grew back' his brain, reaching 80 percent at the age of just three, with doctors now believing that his brain had actually just been squashed into a small space - and that after he had a shunt fitted, it grew back to where it should have been. And since then, Noah has far exceeded all expectations, managing to talk, hear, see and smile!

His mum, Shelly, runs an Instagram account for him, sharing progress updates and day-to-day life for the ten-year-old. Shelly has previously shared a photo of Noah in hospital with the caption reading: "This year has been really tough!!! Stress levels have been so high lack of sleep and we’ve been in and out of hospital, but we are so grateful that we have our family altogether at Christmas time, as many other don’t. "This year noah has grown in age but also confidence. [...] Noah's learnt how to really understand about fractions, history with a love of Egypt in particular, English maths loving count in 2,5 & sports, chemistry and languages, learning how to have spaces in between words, how to join up his letters, to say we are proud is an understatement."

In 2021 Noah underwent surgery to straighten his leg in the hopes of one day being able to achieve one of his lifelong ambitions of being able to walk. At the time, Shelly said: “Noah is such a brave boy and he is determined to walk again. It is going to be a long process but he is excited.”

In April 2024, 12-year-old Noah performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of The Music Man Project - a groundbreaking music education charity for people with disabilities. Noah sings with the group and has now performed at both the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall Twice - holding a world record with the group for the most triangles played at once for seven minutes!

The latest performance featured musical theatre legend and multi-platinum recording artist, Michael Ball as well as the Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines, both of whom Noah got to meet.

As well as being a patron of The Music Man Project, Noah is also an ambassador for Variety, the Children’s Charity, who have funded a lightweight wheelchair to help him move independently, gain confidence, and build his muscles.