Friends and Family,

We hope this message finds you well. Lauren and I would like to update you on our baby girl Brinley Mae Baker. We kindly ask that you to read this update until the end, and use this link and Caring Bridge forum for updates going forward. If you would like to reach out with a text, that is certainly welcome.

When Brinley was born on 9/14/24, she warmed our hearts and has been filling our home with joy and love ever since. While at the hospital, the doctors performed a preliminary hearing test to confirm that Brinley could hear. Unfortunately following that initial test, she was referred for additional evaluation. Following several ABR hearing tests, it was confirmed that she has significant hearing loss in both ears, and will require hearing aids. We have been working with the Audiology Department at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa on this hearing journey, and in late November she was fitted for her hearing aids.  Catching hearing loss early is critical to ensure her development, and we have been working with various State resources to reduce the risk of developmental delay, and evaluate her progress.  We also have an amazing resource locally which will help mom and dad support Brinley with American Sign language and communication (we love you Taya!).

As part of the hearing evaluation, we met with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor to perform an exam. While there were no physical abnormalities observed during the exam, the doctor referred us to an Ophthalmologist to examine her vision. During the eye exam this past Friday, the doctor observed that her right eye was not responding to light, and that there is a mass which will require further diagnosis. This initial diagnosis has informed us that Brinley is not likely to have vision in her right eye.  The good news is that the exam revealed that her left eye is healthy and normal.

Brinley has been referred to UCSF Medical Center for additional evaluation, which will include MRI and MRA imaging to understand if the mass is cancerous.  If a tumor is in fact observed, she could potentially be diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. We are hoping that they can perform the imaging this upcoming Wednesday, and we will provide updates accordingly.

At this point, you may have a lot of questions regarding Brinley’s hearing and vision loss. Lauren and I are taking every possible step to get Brinley the best care possible, both for her physical evaluation and to establish plans for her learning and development. You might ask what can you do? At this point, what we are asking is for you to hold Brinley in your heart, and hope for better news this week as we continue to examine her condition.  Show her all the love that is humanly possible, and pray for a favorable outcome. While we are deeply saddened by this news, we remain optimistic about her health and future. We have the mantra of one day at a time. We are focused on each diagnosis, and will strive to make the best decisions for our baby girl based on the information we have.

We will be updating this Caring Bridge forum when we have additional information. Sending you our love.

Lauren, Keith, and Brinley