Neighborhood unites to celebrate Halloween in May for boy battling rare disease
CASTAIC, California -- A neighborhood came together to make a dream come true for a 5-year-old boy battling a rare disease.
Carter Sakar loves Halloween, so his family thought it was the perfect way to celebrate his fifth birthday.
"We honestly thought we were going to make it to four or five houses, but it just kind of spread like wildfire," said his mom. "One neighbor told one neighbor and they ended up getting a bunch of neighbors together and it's an outpouring of love that you have never even imagined."
Carter has Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare and fatal genetic disorder with no known cure. His body is unable to make proper enzymes to break down sugar molecules and it causes children to lose their speech around Carter's age.
"Even though this is incredibly difficult every day, with everyone's help, it allows us to be the best version of us that we can be," said his father. "For our community, for our children, in hopes that very soon we get a cure."
The Sakars hit the street in their Star Wars costumes to celebrate Halloween, Carter's favorite holiday, in May.
"It was a no-brainier that we're trying to support as a neighborhood the best we can to help this little boy," said a neighbor.
There's no cure for this disease and typically children who have it die in their mid-to-late teens.
"He is such a special little boy and it makes me so proud to be his mom everyday," said his mom. "I just feel blessed to be able to tell his story and have so many people hear about it"
The family also wanted to use the celebration to raise awareness for Carter's Challenge, a fundraiser for the Cure Sanfillipo Foundation.
To help out, you can visit Carterturns5.com
