"The Woman With a Hole in Her Brain"

The newscientist.com article, "The Woman With a Hole in Her Brain" by Helen Thomson, describes a Chinese woman's remarkable survival without an entire cerebellum. Her condition led to only motor deficiency and speech problems, and she has surprisingly survived past the age of 24. The cerebellum is responsible for controlling voluntary movement and balance, as well as other motor functions like speech. Most patients with this condition pass away at an early age, which makes this woman's survival even more exceptional. Doctors say other parts of her brain, such as the cortex, are compensating for the absence of the cerebellum by taking over its functions.

What would happen if someone were born without, say, a pons? The pons relays signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum. It also contains nuclei that regulate sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture. Without a pons, the brain could not function even basically, as no information would be transmitted. So no, a person cannot survive without a pons.