Out of Heartache, Hope Surfaces for Colton’s Metabolic Disorder

Colton Iverson holds a photo of his older sister, Cody. Photo courtesy Copper Ridge Photography.
Before his first breath, Colton Iverson had already received the gift of a lifetime. Just days old, he became the youngest patient to go on a drug recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of a life-threatening genetic condition called very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, or VLCAD, deficiency.
For his parents, the hope it inspired did not come without heartache.
“Colton wouldn’t be here today without our first born, his older sister Cody,” said his mom, Lisa Iverson.
A few days after coming home as excited new parents of a healthy baby girl with an Apgar score of 10, Cody went lifeless in Lisa’s arms one morning. She and her husband, Ty Iverson, rushed Cody to their local hospital in northeastern Washington.
“They did everything they could to save her and they couldn’t,” Lisa said. “For about week, we had no idea what happened to Cody.”
On the day of Cody’s service, the Iversons heard from their family medicine doctor, Dr. Geoffry Jones.
“As we were driving home, I remember the exact spot on the road when we got the call from Dr. Jones,” Lisa said. “He said her newborn blood test showed she had a genetic condition called VLCAD. He recommended we get in touch with a specialist at Seattle Children’s to learn more.” Read full post »