Toddler can see clearly for the first time after surgery to open her eyes fully - and her delighted mother says it's made her 'sassier, sillier and more energetic'

• Lily Etherton, 2, from Oregon can finally see thanks to a miracle surgery in Spain
• READ MORE: Experts warn against risky procedure that changes people’s eye color – but could leave you blind

A toddler born visually impaired due to a rare condition can see clearly for the first time thanks to corrective surgery.

Lily Etherton, 2, from Salem, in Oregon, suffers from Blepharophimosis Ptosis Epicanthus Inversus Syndrome which means she couldn’t open her eyes fully.

Her condition meant she had droopy eyelids, smaller than average eye openings and an upward fold of the inner lower eyelid, and her parents had to fly to Spain for the surgery that American doctors refused to do until she was a little older.

But thanks to a successful frontalis flap surgery last month that opened up her eyes,  the child can now see properly, after an initial surgery at just 7 weeks old.

This comes after a gruelling two years struggling to move, walk and function, falling and bumping into things so easily she’d often end up hurting herself – but her mother says the tot is now ‘sassier, sillier and more energetic’.

Before the life-changing operation, the adorable child couldn’t even open her eyes due to a rare disorder – Blepharophimosis ptosis epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES), leaving her unable to open her eyes

The cute child is finally able to see! The first person she saw was her mother who tirelessly campaigned and fundraised for her little one’s European surgery

Parents Ashley and Erik Etherton, 32 and 38 found out about Lily’s condition when she was born.

Lily’s eyes only opened one millimetre at most, leaving her almost completely blind and subject to falls and bumps.

Ashley often had to gently open Lily’s eyelids so she could see the world. She said: ‘She kept bumping into things and falling over because of her eyes.

‘She kept getting hurt. She’s always have bruises on her legs and bumps on her head.

‘We would actually pull up her eyes to help her see’.

Lily had her first operation at just seven weeks old called Bilateral Frontalis Silicone Sling surgery, which helped for six months.

Her mother said the surgery, held at Oregon Health and Science University, is one of the only FDA-approved surgeries for BPES.

While effective, it often requires re-doing and Lily’s surgeons wouldn’t try it again until much until she was old enough to go to school.

Ashley, a stay-at-home mother and Erik, who works in construction, felt they couldn’t let the little girl’s eyes stay closed as it may delay her development.

Ashley said: ‘It causes developmental delays and vision impairment.

Lily initially had a surgery at just 7 weeks old which did help her condition (BPES) but her mother said the surgery, held at Oregon Health and Science University, one of the only FDA-approved surgeries for BPES requires re-doing and Lily’s surgeons wouldn’t try it again until much until she was old enough to go to school

‘Your walking, jumping, depth perception… If you’re learning to do things you need your eyes’.

Therefore, in September 2023, the couple decided to take the plunge and go forward with the surgery somewhere where it was allowed.

They met with Dr Ramón Medel Jimenez, an orbital and lacrimal surgery specialist in Spain, whose corrective surgery is not FDA approved.

However, the surgery would cost the family $19,444 or 18,000 Euros, a sum they couldn’t afford.

As part of a single-income household, the couple were forced to fundraise, and managed to raise a staggering $32,000.

It took Ashley 40 hours a week of fundraising for four months but the money raised was enough to pay for the surgery, flights to Spain, hotels and they even have some left over.

She set dozens of fundraisers, made sweets to sell, held benefits raffles and appealed on local news.

Ashley said: ‘He [Erik] helped as much as he could but as a single-income household he had to keep the lights on.

‘I was working 40-hour weeks, but I used to work at a call centre so I’m used to it. I was so tired when the surgery came’.

The treatment was a miraculous success and left Lily able to see easily for the first time.

Lily had to wear bandages for about 18 hours after her surgery and her recovery process involves two ointments, one steroid cream and one disinfectant

Ashley said: ‘The first thing she saw was me! She had to wear bandages for about 18 hours after her surgery so once we pulled them off, she was able to see me.

‘She was confused, excited and angry all at the same time because it was bright in the doctor’s room that we removed the bandages in’.

Her recovery process involves two ointments, one steroid cream and one disinfectant.

Ashley added: ‘She’s amazing now and she looks wonderful. She’s sassier, sillier and more energetic’.

Now Ashley is looking to invest the remainder of the money in campaigning to have Dr Medal’s surgery approved by the FDA.

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