BATON ROUGE — A community dance event is coming to Baton Rouge to raise money and awareness for Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has no cure.

The event is backed by Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA and seeks to raise $20,000 for the organization, which provides advocacy, family support and research funding for those affected by PWS.

Dancing Through the Decades is set for July 15 at Red Stick Social, located at 1503 Government Street The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is hosted by PWS parent Katie Martinez. It is an adults-only event including dancing, bowling, a photo booth, raffle prizes, a silent auction and food and drinks.

Martinez is the mother of a 9-year-old son living with PWS. He spent seven weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit after birth due to feeding complications and had surgery at one month old to place a gastrostomy tube. Since birth, he has received speech, feeding, occupational and physical therapy. 

Prader-Willi syndrome affects one in every 15,000 to 20,000 births each year. It is caused by an abnormality on the 15th chromosome and occurs equally in males and females across all races.

There are currently two approved treatments for PWS: Human Growth Hormone to help with muscles and growth and VYKAT XR to help with hyperphagia.

Several other treatments are being studied in clinical trials.