Ky. boy blinded in shooting set to be honored at bowl game

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) - It’s been 364 days since 6-year-old Malakai Roberts and his mother Cacy were shot inside their home in Lexington, Kentucky.

Malakai has a long wish list this Christmas, but his mom’s only wish is that he’s happy this Christmas after spending the holidays in the hospital last year.

“Last year for Christmas he had presents and he didn’t want to open them for a couple of days,” Cacy said.

Tuesday marks a year to the day since Malakai was permanently blinded by bullets fired into his home. But a year on from that horrible night, his mother said Malakai’s doing really well and making the best out of his situation.

“He’s really just the best kid. He has that can-do attitude, he never complains. We’ve all seen him riding his bike, he went to a sports camp, rode horses did wrestling” Cacy said.

She said he’s doing really well in school and occasional visits to the Kentucky School for the Blind help to show Malakai that he’s not alone.

“They take them to like the movies and show them how to walk out in public with their canes and go shopping,” Cacy said.

Cacy knows many other mothers who have lost their sons to gun violence would love to be in her position, but she can’t help feeling down from time to time.

“Some days I feel depressed, and I don’t want to go on because of the situation, because he can’t see,” Cacy said.

The support from the Lexington community means a lot to her and Malakai.

“We’re not from here, we moved here five years ago from a town in southern Ohio. I don’t have family here or a whole lot of friends, so to see everyone wrap their arms around us, We really appreciate that so much,” Cacy said.

And now, Cacy and Malakai are set to be recognized on a national scale. They will fly to Florida for the VRBO Citrus Bowl between Kentucky and Iowa, where they will be honored at halftime.

Malakai said he’s a little scared of the plane ride, but Cacy said they’re both excited for the big game. And even though they’ve not lived in Lexington long, they can’t help getting on board and cheering for the Cats.

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