The doctors told him that he would never be able to speak, let alone sing. However, the toddler named Malakai is now surpassing everything that they thought possible.
Born with cerebral palsy, life hasn’t been easy for the young boy, but he has soldiered on in spite of all of these challenges.
In a recent heartwarming video from Good Morning America, Malakai demonstrated how he can now sing one of his favorite songs, entirely on his own.
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It all started when Malakai was born.
He came into this world as a premie, weighing under four pounds at birth.
“We didn’t really start to learn anything was different with him until he was about, it was really around 10 months old where I realized, okay, I think something is up,” explained Malakai’s mom.
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Shortly after, doctors diagnosed Malakai with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
In addition, the doctors also found that Malakai had experienced a small amount of brain damage due to being born so premature. People born with his condition have a lot of problems controlling the movement of their limbs.
Malakai’s muscle tightness affects both of his arms and both of his legs. He needs to use an assistive device just to walk.
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However, one of the most troubling things that the doctors told Malakai’s parents involved his speech ability.
It was possible, they said, that he would never be able to talk.
Yet, his mom is happy to report that “he has completely blown that away”.
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The video shows Malakai singing two short songs.
First, he sings the “Alphabet Song” — A, B, C, D, etc. However, his real favorite song is none other than “Old MacDonald”. It’s a childhood classic that we’ve all heard before.
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Malakai sings the simple lyrics in the video and it’s beautiful to watch. The joy on the boy’s face is unmistakable. He is not letting cerebral palsy stop him from living his life and being happy. That’s for sure.
Why stop with just singing though?
Malakai’s next goal will be to attempt to sit on his own without assistance, and eventually, to move without his walker.
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He proved the doctors wrong once now, so the family is hoping that he can do it again.
From what we can see in the video, it looks hopeful. Malakai is full of determination, displaying a smile on his face with incredible frequency, in spite of everything he has been through. It is inspiring to watch. In his mind, he is just trying to be a kid.
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Currently, Malakai uses a Rifton walker in order to be mobile.
It gives him the additional support that he needs to be able to walk around the house. Although, it’s a slow process — one step at a time. In the future, the hope is that he will be able to set the Rifton aside and venture out into the world using just his own two legs.
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Malakai’s mom explained that the most rewarding part for her was just seeing how excited he gets when he accomplishes something new.
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He is a total champ.
Even things like eating on his own can be hard for Malakai, but every day, he wakes up, puts on his best face, and sets out to defy the odds.
“It’s just these little things that bring so much joy to him and bring so much joy to our family,” Malakai’s mom explained.
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It’s been tough, however, Malakai’s daily accomplishments and the joy that they bring prove that there is still plenty of reason to celebrate.
Watch the full inspiring video of Malakai singing “Old MacDonald” below.
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