SPECIAL FEATURES
Holding on to his dreams
PHOTO SUPPLIED
Jasper Peterson, a western Weber County 11-year-old battling Batten disease, on a fishing outing along the Cub River in Idaho. He’s with his dad, Matt Peterson, and his younger brother, Owen.
Batten disease hasn’t tempered 11-year-old Jasper Peterson’s passion for farming, ranching
BY TIM VANDENACK Standard-Examiner
It all started, or at least became apparent, when teachers noticed that Jasper Peterson seemed to be having vision problems. That was back in 2015, when the western Weber County boy, born Chase Peter-
son but preferring the moniker Jasper, was in first grade. Problems persisted, defied easy explanation, and ultimately he was diagnosed with Batten disease, a rare disorder of the nervous system that typically claims its victims when they’re in their late teens or early 20s. Sight loss is usually the first symptom. More PETERSON | PAGE 16 Western Wasatch - November 2020 15
