From the moment Maverick Coltrin was born, all signs pointed to a healthy and happy life. But when he stopped eating and started having mild spasms at 6 days old, his worried mom rushed him to Rady Children’s Hospital emergency room. Soon he was having constant seizures and spitting up blood. When multiple tests failed to reveal the cause, his doctors turned to whole genome sequencing in search of answers.
We went from thinking our son was going to die, to getting a diagnosis and being so thankful for genomic sequencing and how it saved his life — Kara Coltrin, Maverick’s Mom
Things moved quickly, once the decision to order rapid Whole Genome Sequencing was made.
It took just 39 hours from the time Maverick’s blood sample was delivered to the RCIGM lab for
researchers to call the NICU with a diagnosis and put the newborn on the road to recovery.
Maverick is admitted to the Rady Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit. When dozens of tests fail to identify what is making him gravely ill, a blood sample is sent to Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine for whole genome sequencing.
It took just 39 hours to detect the genetic error in Maverick’s genes through whole genome sequencing. Information on the diagnosis and precise course of treatment are relayed to the medical team.
Maverick responds well to the changes in care. After 36 hours, he is taken off ventilator, his are parents able to hold and feed him. A week and a half later, he goes home.
Maverick is passionate about baseball and helping his father, who runs a handyman business, on construction and repair projects. Academically, he’s faced some challenges, but with the support of targeted therapies, he’s making steady progress.
Maverick has been seizure-free for about three years now.
© 2025 Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine.
