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By Collin Breaux
When people head out to Holly DeJulia’s house in San Juan Capistrano this Halloween season, they won’t just get to see clowns and a festive holiday display. They’ll also learn about disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), which has afflicted her 10-year-old son.
DeJulia started putting up the display for the public in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her neighbors are also heavy decorators and put up zombie- and witch-themed displays, which motivated DeJulia to do her own celebration. DeJulia ended up going with clown displays and animatronics, since that’s all there was left to pick from during the initial days of the viral outbreak.
The DeJulia family display is at 31761 Via Granada and can be accessed by calling 446 from the community callbox and giving the password “CarnEVIL,” after which visitors will be buzzed into the gated community. The clown show will be on display from sunset until 9:30 p.m. through Halloween night on Oct. 31, weather permitting.
“It has grown and grown,” she said. “We’re known as the clown house around town.”
A projection screen incorporating music was added to the display last year. DeJulia describes the attraction as kid-friendly and not gory.
As the display has become popular in San Juan Capistrano, DeJulia has decided to use it to educate the public about DMDD. Her family learned about their child’s diagnosis earlier this year. The brain disorder causes chronic irritability and intense rages, according to Revolutionize DMDD, a nonprofit that provides information for families and medical providers.
Symptoms are shown in more than one environment and typically begin before the age of 10, but the diagnosis is not given to children younger than 6 or older than 18 years of age, a fact sheet provided by Revolutionize DMDD said.
The DeJulia family let visitors know about their son’s diagnosis while also providing Dippin’ Dots ice cream last year. Since people offered to pay for the ice cream or donate for the DMDD cause, DeJulia decided to increase the advocacy aspect for 2022’s display.
“This year, I got in front of it,” she said. “(Donations) are voluntary.”
Visitors will be able to donate to Revolutionize DMDD through a QR code at the display.
DeJulia said her son’s case of DMDD was initially a struggle, because they didn’t know what was going on with him. Eventually, they were able to get a proper diagnosis and started to understand his condition.
DeJulia wasn’t prepared for the situation, despite her previous experience as a teacher, which she felt gave her perspective on children’s outbursts.
DMDD is more prevalent than they initially realized, she said.
As her son continues to navigate life with DMDD, he also dresses up in a clown costume for the family’s Halloween show.
“Now that this is the third year, it’s become a really nice way that my family bonds,” DeJulia said. “My kids help construct it. The community response has been exceptional. I’m happy it brings fun memories.”
Collin Breaux
Collin Breaux covers San Juan Capistrano and other South Orange County news as the City Editor for The Capistrano Dispatch. Before moving to California, he covered Hurricane Michael, politics and education in Panama City, Florida. He can be reached by email at cbreaux@picketfencemedia.com.
