LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A boy who was blinded by gunfire is now a character in a book.
Students at the Kentucky School for the Blind got to read the book about their peer in braille on Thursday.
The book, "Adventures with Malakai," was inspired by their classmate Malakai Roberts.
He wrote it with Master P, known as Uncle P in the story.
Students at the Kentucky School for the Blind read the book "Adventures with Malakai" on Feb. 9, 2023.
"He's super adventurous," Cacy Roberts, Malakai's mother, said. "He just loves to get into stuff. He loves to ask questions. He loves to take things apart. He's going a very curious soul."
In December 2020, Roberts, who was five years old, was watching a movie with his mother and brother inside his Lexington home when he was shot in the temple.
Since recovering from the shooting, Malakai, who is now 8 years old, has been attending school in Lexington and the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville.
"Even when you lost your eyesight, you can still do many things like ride a bike," his teacher, Missey Evers, read from the book.
That's why it was critical for "Adventures with Malakai" to be transcribed to braille.
"That allows more people to have access to the book," Cacy Roberts said. "It's just wonderful. Since going blind, we look for braille everywhere we go. We go to a restaurant and ask for the braille menu and look for it everywhere and we get excited when we find it. Having the book in braille means everything."
Students at the Kentucky School for the Blind read the book "Adventures with Malakai" on Feb. 9, 2023.
Being from Lexington, he comes to the Kentucky School for the Blind about every six weeks for a program for kids from all over the state.
"They know Malakai," KSB Principal Peggy Sinclair-Morris said. "He's their friend and for them, it shows kids that are blind or visually impaired, they can do anything that other kids can. They may just have to do it a little bit differently or have this adapted for them but they're just kids."
The American Printing House for the Blind, which is right next door to the school, was where the book was transcribed to braille.
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