Thanks to the miracle of medical science, four-year-old Carter Miller of Uxbridge has a new ear, with another on the way.

Carter, a student at Quaker Village Public School, has a form of Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of bones and tissue in the face. As a result, Carter was essentially born with no ears. He headed off to California in late-April to undergo surgery, under the 'Medpor' technique, a process that actually allows blood flow and nerve endings to develop in the reconstructed ear.

He underwent an eight-hour surgery and bounced right back to his energetic self, said his mother Robyn.

"The next day he was doing his thing," she said with a smile at their home on July 14.

Carter is set for another procedure in California on Aug. 6 to add the other ear. And on Nov. 25, he'll go again for completion, including any needed touch-ups, said Ms. Miller. Carter can hear as he had a special bone-anchored hearing aid installed when he was an infant.

Meanwhile, he and his seven-year-old sister Regan were happily playing in the family's living room while their mother talked about the family's battle with OHIP to cover medical expenses. Ms. Miller expects the surgeries to cost in the neighbourhood of $90,000 and, despite having a referral from a Mississauga doctor, the family was turned down for coverage. She is fighting to overturn the decision, adding she has submitted an appeal "to prove the same procedure is not available in Ontario," said Ms. Miller.

Fortunately, the community has rallied to raise more than $70,000 for Carter's procedure. Various community groups, most recently the Roxy Kids in Action, who held a sale raising over $1,000, have contributed to the cause. In May, two Uxbridge children - Andrew Swan and Nathan Cook, both seven - asked guests to bring $2 coins to their birthday party and turned over the loot to Carter's family, said Ms. Miller.

"All these young kids are setting an example in their community," she said.

The community has also donated thousands of Aeroplan Miles to help cover the expense of flying to the U.S., she said. Relatives of former Uxbridge chief administrative officer Alex Grant are providing accommodations for the family in California, she said.

"The support has been amazing; we're very thankful," said Ms. Miller. "It would be nice for OHIP to come through, then we can return the money back into the community."

Carter nodded excitedly at his home when asked by his mother if he's looking forward to his next trip to the U.S.

Ms. Miller was originally concerned the surgery would take some wind out her son's sails, but now "it's more about slowing him down," she said with a smile.