Kentucky boy who was blinded in a shooting to be honored alongside family at Citrus Bowl
The resilience and strength of Malakai Roberts, the 6-year-old Lexington boy who was blinded last December when bullets ripped through his home, has already inspired people far and wide.
On New Year's Day, tens of thousands of University of Kentucky and University of Iowa football fans will get a chance to learn about Malakai's story after he and his family received a special invite to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Vrbo, which sponsors the Jan. 1 bowl matchup between the Wildcats and Hawkeyes, found out about Malakai after asking UK officials about any families deserving of a special trip to Orlando and tickets to the game.
Related: He was blinded by stray bullets. But 'there's no stopping' this 6-year-old boy
Malakai, his mother, Cacy, and 4-year-old brother, Kameron, will get first-class airfare and accommodations to enjoy an entire week in Florida thanks to Vrbo's offer.
Vrbo also plans on honoring Malakai and his family on the field of Camping World Stadium during the game between UK and Iowa, which kicks off at 1 p.m.
"We are excited to welcome Malakai and his family to Orlando and at the Vrbo Citrus Bowl," Nancy Lien, public relations manager for the online vacation rental firm, told The Courier Journal in an email.
The trip will represent a nice post-Christmas present for the boy and his family, whose lives were changed when stray bullets went through their Lexington home in the early hours of Dec. 21, 2020.
Malakai was sleeping in the same bed as his brother and mom and was struck in the head by the bullets, surviving but losing his sight and also his sense of smell and taste. The gunfire also wounded Cacy's arm.
Lexington Police charged two teens over the summer in connection with the shooting, with detectives later saying they were aiming for a target next door to Malakai's home.
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In the year since the shooting, Malakai has made steady progress while maintaining his passion for biking, video games, climbing and other activities. He's also regained some sense of smell and taste.
He splits time as a first grader between Breckinridge Elementary in Lexington and the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, where staff say he has thrived.
Malakai has also gotten involved in the Future Healers Program, a partnership between Christopher 2X Game Changers and University of Louisville medical students and faculty to support and inspire local kids who have been impacted by violence to explore and pursue health care careers.
"He's an amazing little item," local anti-violence activist Christopher 2X said of Malakai, explaining how the boy put on scrubs and other medical gear at a Future Healers event without needing help from others.
A GoFundMe set up by a Lexington detective to support the Roberts family as they moved after the shooting and as Malakai continues to receive some eye operations has raised over $21,000.
"I definitely can't wait to see what he becomes in the future," Cacy Roberts told The Courier Journal in November, "because there's no stopping him."
Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Citrus Bowl: Blind Kentucky boy Malakai Roberts to be honored at game
