7-year-old boy receives life-changing eyelid surgery

SAN DIEGO (KVVU/Gray News) - A little boy with two rare skin conditions underwent a life-changing surgery this week.

Monday was a big day for 7-year-old Carter, who took a trip to the beach and underwent surgery on his eyelids.

Carter has two rare skin conditions that make it impossible for him to close his eyes.

Carter had a successful intricate skin graft and eyelid repair surgery at UC San Diego.

Before his procedure, Carter wanted to go to the beach in San Diego.

“I want to go in the water,” Carter said.

Carter held KVVU reporter Victoria Saha’s hand as he soaked his feet in the ocean for the first time.

“It looks super cold ... It is super hot in Las Vegas,” Carter said.

As Carter looked out over the water, it would be his last chance to soak everything in before the procedure.

“I am going to get put to sleep, and then after, I’m going to be blind for a little bit,” he said.

Carter’s skin condition has made it impossible for him to open and close his eyes, something the surgery will fix.

“I’ll be able to blink and my eyes won’t water all the time,” Carter said. “I don’t really feel good with it ... but I am OK with it.”

His mother, Shai Bresee, said it is Carter’s spirit that makes him so special.

“He understands that it is not going to be easy, it is going to hurt but it is temporary and the relief he is going to get is going to be much better than the pain he is going through,” Bresee said.

People from all over the country stepped up to donate and helped offset some of the costs of his surgery. Now, Bresee’s only concern is to keep Carter comfortable.

“You can’t put a price on peace of mind and just being able to know we can relax and do our due diligence with him and spend time with him through recovery,” Bresee said.

Following Carter’s successful surgery, he will remain in San Diego for the rest of the week to recover. Then, he will attend follow-up appointments before making his way back home to Las Vegas.

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