Addie and Jasper’s Story: Building a Community of Trust

At three weeks old, baby Jasper struggled to open his right eye, raising concerns for his mother, Addie Delong. During a routine postpartum checkup at Mosaic Community Health in Bend, she shared these worries with lactation consultant Tierra Link.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Tierra promptly elevated the urgency of Jasper’s appointment for further examination.

“You could definitely see his eye wasn’t opening all the way,” Link said. “So I went to find a provider who could see Jasper right away.”

Within 30 minutes, Mosaic pediatrician Rebecca Hicks was able to evaluate Jasper’s eye. This exam initiated a whirlwind for Delong that was stressful and emotional, but which provided important answers for her and baby Jasper thanks to the Mosaic care team.

“Within one day, I had my concerns met,” Delong said. “We had a diagnosis by the end of t he day, and we had our case in front of surgeons in Portland. That was a kind of response that I really didn’t expect.”

Jasper was diagnosed with a serious eye condition called persistent fetal vasculature and microphthalmia. And though the Mosaic care team care team got him in to see a retinal eye specialist surgeon within days, the condition was deemed inoperable. This means Jasper will not have vision in his right eye.

Despite the final diagnosis, Delong remained positive. Jasper’s condition impacted just one eye, so he will grow up with vision in the other.

“I hate to say it could be worse, but that’s true in this case,” she said. “We’re just very thankful for the support we got, especially from the people at Mosaic. It was an emotional day, but I felt very much cared for.”

Dr. Hicks agreed, pointing out that cases like this demonstrate the importance of relationships between caregivers and patients, as well as throughout the entire community.

“Despite a poor prognosis, my ability to take the time, to show the patient’s family that I really care, mattered to them,” she said. “It built trust between us that is very precious to me.”