'Miracle baby' predicted to die during birth celebrates first birthday

Angela Morales wasn't supposed to live past birth. But miraculously, Angela is alive and now celebrating her first birthday.

Sonia Morales was ecstatic when she learned she would be having her second child. But doctors told her that her unborn daughter Angela had anencephaly, a serious birth defect resulting in absence of parts of the brain and the skull. Because of her severe condition, Angela was predicted to die in the womb or during birth.

"It was the saddest and scariest moment of our lives," Morales, 27, told People Magazine. "But I looked at my husband and we decided that we were going to keep her no matter what."

The family embraced Angela, making her part of the family during Sonia's pregnancy. "I told Elizabeth that her baby sister had a boo-boo and was going to go to heaven when she was born," Sonia told People.

Angela proved to defy the odds, making it not just to childbirth, but her first birthday on March 23, 2015. The family celebrates Angela's miraculous survival every day with birthday song, cake, and reciting a prayer.

The Morales family documents their journeys with Angela on their Facebook page, and has also set up a GoFundMe page to help with Angela's ongoing medical expenses. The Morales family feels blessed to have Angela in their lives.

"Angela has made us better people. She might never be able to contribute to society, but she is teaching us how to become more compassionate and loving," Morales told People. "I see life differently now. I only see love. I am a lucky mom."