Girl’s 2nd Operation May Make Her Smile
If all turns out well, Chelsey Thomas’ smile will soon spread all the way across her face.
Chelsey was listed in good condition Wednesday in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center following an 11-hour operation Tuesday.
Doctors at the Woodland Hills hospital replaced paralyzed muscles on the right side of Chelsey’s face with a live muscle from her leg. They hoped to complete the work of giving the 7-year-old Palmdale girl her long-sought ability to grin.
Tuesday’s operation was identical to surgery in December on the left side of her face, which gave her a half-smile.
Chelsey suffers from a rare medical condition called Moebius syndrome which, among other effects, paralyzes her facial muscles. Spurred by ribbing from her classmates, she began a campaign last year to be able to smile before her eighth birthday this June--a goal her doctors describe as realistic.
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