Carson Lynn, an 8-year-old from Bainbridge, Georgia, joined fans on the sideline at the Lousiana-Monroe game. This moment for the books came just in time for Carson, as he was still healing from losing sight in his right eye.
On Oct. 6, Carson was tending to the cows at 5:30 a.m. He said he untied his cow and took her to the water to drink. He started walking back to where he would wash her when she got spooked and started running.
“I was holding on with my left hand, and we ran about 10 yards, and she found a gap between a long row of cows and took it,” Carson said. “Of course, I went with her, and I didn’t know a fence was there. She turned off at the fence, and I kept running. That’s when my eye hit the fence pole.”
The tissue and nerves around Carson’s eye were fractured from the impact and 13 stitches were necessary to sew up a gash. He broke a bone in his forehead and his sinuses.
His father found him, and they went to the barn. They were under the impression that they would go to the doctor, get stitched up and he would be back on the farm.
“He said, ‘Daddy, I can’t see out my right eye’ and I thought that he couldn’t see through the blood and the dirt,” said Jeff Lynn, Carson’s father. “We had no idea that the injury was so severe that it caused trauma to his optic nerve.”
Carson’s mother, Cara, is a registered nurse and works at his school. She was with him when he was rushed to Birmingham.
Cara said Carson’s attitude has been amazing since the accident, and he’s been taking it like a champ.
“Our faith in God has helped us get through it,” Cara said.
Continue reading below...
She said there is hope for his eyesight, though. Cara was told as technology and treatment progresses, options for Carson might open up, and his eyesight might be repaired at some point.
That attitude has kept him loving his time on the farm with his animals despite the accident. Carson said he gets out on the farm almost every day and loves every moment of it. He enjoys showing the pigs the most.
“It’s what I grew up doing, and it’s all I know how to do,” Carson said.
Carson’s teachers have been helping him through the injury, and, up until a few
Carson got to wear a hat and protective sunglasses, which were his favorite Auburn eyewear.
The main priority for the family is ensuring his left eye is left untouched and healthy. The family is praying that his sight will come back in the right eye, but there is currently no procedure that would restore the sight.
In an effort to lift Carson’s spirit and give the family a break from what they have gone through, Desiree Harrell, a friend of the family, started to pull some strings and reach out to her friends at Auburn. Harrell is an Auburn graduate of 1992.
She contacted Latisha Durroh in the Athletics Department and asked if Carson would be considered for a guest pass and the royal Auburn treatment. Madison Temple handled the details. The response was quick and positive. Carson and his family had tickets to the game and a spot waiting for them on the field.
Carson said he was thrilled. He said his room, decked out in Auburn colors, is proof of his dedication.
“My favorite player is Cam Newton, and there will never be anyone better,” Carson said.
His prize possession: “A huge fat head of Cam Newton.” Alongside the lifesize Newton head, is his Auburn bunkbed with orange and blue sheets, his Auburn-themed bathroom and Auburn signs to cover all walls.
Harrell was planning Carson’s dream trip and thought about the travel and lodging expenses. She contacted The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, and in partnership with the Athletics Department, got a room for Carson and his family.
The travel and food costs were covered by Auburn friends and livestock showing friends.
“What I liked the most was being able to be on the sideline and get high fives from a lot of the players,” Carson said. “Kevin Steele came by to talk to my little sister, and she loves cheerleaders. She had a cheerleader outfit on and pom-poms. Kevin Steele asked if she was going to cheer them on and she went, ‘War Eagle.’ When she did that she knocked his contact out of his eye.”
His favorite players on the current team are Kerryon Johnson and Tre Matthews. Carson said the team started out “horrible” that Saturday because they were ready for Alabama, and they overlooked Lousiana-Monroe.
While walking around downtown Auburn after the game, the family spotted a “War Eagle Carson” painting in the window of J&M Bookstore that Harrell commissioned.
Harrell said the details all fell into place, and she wasn’t surprised by the outpouring of love for Carson. Jeff said Carson has always been an Auburn fan, and he used to watch games from the comfort of his cradle. Cara said Carson went to football camp and loved every moment of it.
“I have been dreaming about [going to Auburn] since I was born,” Carson said.
Continue reading below...
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
