This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

A 5-year-old boy from Castaic who suffers from a rare, fatal genetic disorder celebrated a special Halloween-themed birthday party Sunday as a testament to his parent's motto to "make sure every day counts."

Carter Sarkar was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome, a metabolism disorder that prevents the body from properly processing sugar. His family told KTLA the disorder will attack his mind and motor skills until his body shuts down, which is expected to happen when he is a teenager.

"That's why we go all out for everything that we do, because we don't know if he is going to be here next year," Carter's mother, Jennifer Sarkar, told KTLA in tears. "We don't know if he is even going to be able to say "mom" or "dad" next year or even his sisters, so you just have to live for today and hope for tomorrow with him."

Partygoers dressed in Halloween costumes and went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood on Sunday, all in celebration of Carter's special day and favorite holiday.

"The number one gift that we all have is time and what you do with it is what matters and so we are trying our best to do everything we can for our son," Carter's dad, Samir, told KTLA.

The Sarkars are hoping to raise $15,000 for Sanfilippo syndrome research by Carter's birthday on May 25; you can donate on the Carter Turns 5 fundraising page. To learn more about Carter and how his family is working to find a cure for Sanfilippo syndrome, visit CartersChallenge.com.

KTLA's Erica Martin contributed tho this story.