LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The City of Louisville experienced the most violent weekend it’s seen this year, that resulted in 7 people shot and 4 dead from their wounds. 

For one Lexington family, this news hits close to home after experiencing gun violence themselves in December 2020. While sleeping in their Lexington home, the Roberts were awoken by a drive-by shooting that left 6-year-old Malakai Roberts permanently blind.

“It was like 2 a.m. and I heard gunshots,” Cacy Roberts said. “I pulled my one son to the ground and reached over to grab Malakai and I felt myself get shot in the arm, which actually we got shot with the same bullet.”

After dealing with the results of gun violence first-hand, Cacy wanted to prevent another family from feeling that same pain. That’s when they heard about the Future Healers Program.

“I think any effort to try and curve that, try and steer kids in the right direction, get them interested in the medical field, give them knowledge that they need and any opportunity to do that I’m going to jump on that chance,” Roberts said.

Roberts met with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Christopher 2X to discuss Malakai’s story and the “Future Healers Got Zoo Buddies” awareness campaign for Healthy Eyes.

“Informing Sen. Paul about how we’re going to keep supporting these individuals and that institution, the School for the Blind,” Christopher 2X said. “To let them know some kids are challenged with these kinds of disabilities, but at the same time Malakai gives hope to everybody because of what he does.”

Malakai is proof, his sense of adventure will never stop.

“I want Malakai to know that just because he can’t see doesn’t mean he has any limitations and I think he already knows that,” Roberts said.

The Future Healers Got Zoo Buddies was created to allow kids who have experienced secondary trauma from violence to explore the healing power of animals.