5-year-old taking on new life with prosthetic legs and arm after battling life-threatening illness

MOUNT VERNON, New York (WABC) -- After a five-year-old endured a life-threatening illness, doctors gave him new tools to brighten his future.

Steffon Carter started first grade at Mt Pleasant Blythedale School in Valhalla, taking on life with brand new prosthetic limbs after facing and now clearing very difficult medical hurdles.

Born with sickle cell disease, Carter experienced periods of extreme pain, referred to as pain crises, at least once a year, but last year was different.

Carter had developed an invasive streptococcal pneumococcus infection with sepsis, meningitis, and septic shock.

As a result, he developed dry necrotic gangrene of his fingers and toes, losing most of his extremities.

"He went from a healthy functional kid to having somebody who has all four limbs significantly impacted ," Lily Chan, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner said.

When his condition finally stabilized in 2023, Carter was admitted to Blythedale Children's Hospital where he was fitted for prosthetics on both of his lower legs and then a body-powered prosthetic for his left hand.

"There are kids who take a lot longer to adjust to the fact that, they now need to use a prosthetic arm, there is a lot of grief, loss, bereavement but he seems to have taken it all in stride," Chan said.

On Wednesday, Carter returned to Mount Pleasant Blythedale as a first grader learning how to incorporate his new prosthetics into his daily activities.

Carter is still learning to navigate his new world, while getting stronger.

For this super hero, the sky is the limit.

"He will learn to walk again and run, kick a ball, do everything he wants to do, Chan said.