University of California - Davis May 8 2026 Thousands of times per year, a family's moment of joy turns to unexpected grief. A seemingly healthy infant stops smiling or making eye contact. Their limbs grow weak. The tiny child suffers seizures and breathing problems. Jawdat Al-Bassam, an associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Davis, often hears from these families. "I've gotten emails from folks all over the world," he said. By the time they