An 18-month-old baby boy in Perry County is suffering from a rare chromosome disorder that could end his life. Jordan Mullins' family says it's a miracle he is still with them, but he's going to need more surgery.

Jordan's mom, Keisha Hicks, says since he was born in May of 2008, there's been little time spent at home. "I'm facing reality, and I do know that Jordan could die any day, especially, you know, he's in the hospital right now in Hazard with pneumonia," she says.

Keisha says Jordan was born with a rare disorder. "There's just a piece of his first chromosome that's chipped off on a certain place, and that's how it gets its name. It's 1q43 deletion," she says.

She says the disorder has caused Jordan to have physical abnormalities and suffer from brain and heart problems.
He is also hooked up to a feeding tube 14 to 16 hours a day because he has a cleft palate.

Jordan's grandmother Terri Mullins says, "There's been so many times that Jordan was so near and so close to death that we didn't think he would pull through--doctors didn't know if he would pull through."

She says the family is trying to raise money so Jordan can receive the medical treatment he needs from a hospital in Colorado, but it's not been easy.

"It's been very hard to ask for help, because it's just not what we do normally," Mullins says. "It's a pride thing, I guess, and I guess sometimes you just have to drop that ball on the pride thing and realize it's not for us it's for Jordan."

Keisha says she wants her baby boy to be able to sit up, eat, and maybe walk one day, but more than anything, just survive.

"I've seen him near death so many times, that, it doesn't really matter to me if he ever does any of those things, because, just as long as he's here," she says.

Jordan's mother and grandmother say his daily struggles help them appreciate life more every day.

A trust fund for the Mullins family is set up at Peoples Bank and Trust in Hazard. You can contact any branch location for more information on how to donate or help the family.

Jordan's mother Keisha Hicks says you can also call her at (606) 233-4155 for more information, or Terri Mullins at (606) 378-5278.

The family is supposed to go to the Children's Hospital of Denver in Colorado near the end of January for a consultation for Jordan.