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'It was horrible' | Greensboro woman's son dies on Mother's Day

Casey Mora's son was born with Menkes syndrome. He died Sunday from pneumonia.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mother's Day is a special day for moms to highlight the bond they share with their children.

But for one Greensboro woman, the day was only filled with sorrow and pain.

Casey Mora's 12-year-old son died on Mother's Day. She shared her loss with News 2 and the memories she's cherished.

Loving and caring is how Casey Mora would describe her 12-year-old son Pedro.

"He would always share his things and interact with other kids," said Mora. 

A joyful person within the Mora household has now become an angel in heaven after he died from pneumonia on Mother's Day.

"It was the hardest Mother's Day I had to experience, I know that he did the best he could but his body was tired," said Mora. 

Pedro was born with Menkes syndrome, a rare disorder that Dr. Amelia Kirby with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist said affects copper levels in the body.

"Copper is very important for a lot of different enzymes in our body and so when we don't have enough copper to make function we start to see health problems," said Kirby. 

His body had problems adjusting to outside temperatures, walking, lifting his head, and even talking, symptoms that can lead to neurological decline or pneumonia.

"They have very weak muscles and they just aren't able to successfully breathe well once they get sick," said Kirby. 

Mother's Day will never be the same for Mora. Making the day even harder, it was also Pedro's birthday.

"We've been planning like the whole entire week before. We were going to do a Minecraft birthday because it was his favorite thing in the world," said Mora.

Dr. Kirby says typically children with Menkes don't make it past the age of 3. Pedro's family is thankful every day knowing he made it to 12. 

His mother says Pedro went to school at Simkins Elementary in Guilford County. 

A Gofundme page was made in his honor.

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