An El Paso County family is using social media to raise awareness on a rare genetic disorder

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)- A family in Southern Colorado is using social media to raise awareness on a rare genetic disorder, and hope to encourage others to foster or adopt special needs children.

Becca Moulin and her husband first fostered Elijah when he was 12 years old. Once Elijah was under their care, they say they did several tests to learn more about his diagnosis. It was always presumed Elijah had cerebral palsy, but new information pointed to something much more rare.

"It came back that cerebral palsy was not his diagnosis. And he actually has a very rare disorder. Less than a thousand cases noted, period," said Moulin.

Allan Herndon Dudley Syndrom is a rare genetic disorder that affects a child’s cognition, mobility, and overall health. The National Institutes of Health confirms that less than 1,000 people in the U.S. have the disease.

Next year, the family is going to Texas for a clinical trial that will hopefully help Elijah. 

"We're going to start in Fort Worth and then they're going to transfer us down to Houston for a time being, where they're going to put him on the medication, watch him for a little bit, take him off the medication. See his response and then document it and put him back on it so that they can get it FDA-approved," said Moulin.

They're also using social media to spread awareness on this topic. Becca is hopeful that with the new treatment, Elijah will have a better life.

"We want to give him every opportunity we possibly can to allow him to enjoy what life has to offer him and spread accessibility, and that there, just like any other kid who wants to go out and do all those things, they just need a little extra help doing it," said Moulin.

She also hopes other prospective parents will welcome special needs foster or adoptive children into their joys, just as they did.