Local ‘Celebrity’ Takes
Special Trip to Disney World
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By Claire FitzSimmonds

Few 9-year-olds are as memorable as Kahlil Higgins. The fourth-grader at Booker T. Washington is adored by his teachers and classmates alike him.

“Everywhere we go, he is a celebrity,” his mother Bobbie Mobley says. In most ways, Kahlil is a typical 9-year-old kid. His mother describes him as “happy, sociable and friendly.” His favorite movie is “Drumline,” and he loved his recent trip to Disney World.

Kahlil’s visit to Florida was especially memorable because it was arranged by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Kahlil has cerebral palsy, epilepsy with seizures and asthma. His “meals” are supplied via feeding tube, and he has undergone brain surgery at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. None of that has slowed Kahlil down.

He plays baseball with the Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League at Shillito Park, and he loves the UK Wildcats as much as any 9-year-old in the Bluegrass. “He goes off when he sees UK basketball on TV,” Bobbie says. Although Kahlil is mostly non-verbal, he said his first word, “Mama,” at age 4, which is also when he began walking.

Last year was another milestone when the family traveled to Orlando for Kahlil’s visit to Disney World.
While he was in the hospital following brain surgery, his family contacted the Make-A-Wish foundation about planning a trip to Disney World. Within two months, Make-A-Wish had planned the entire trip for Bobbie, Kahlil, his father Larry Higgins and his sisters Destiny and Shaiya. Last summer, the family stayed in a village designed for children with disabilities sponsored by a group called Give Kids the World. “We were treated like royalty,” Bobbie says.

“The volunteers were wonderful.” The family stayed in its own private villa, which included a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, a dining hall with free meals and an ice cream parlor. Nearby, there was a catfish pond and an arcade. Kahlil’s favorite part of the trip was the family’s visit to Cocoa Beach, and he loved the Simpsons ride at the amusement park.

“I visited Hawaii, and I thought that was as close to heaven as I could imagine,” Bobbie says. “After I went to Disney World, I thought that was heaven because I could go somewhere where my child was normal.

” Now, a year later, Kahlil is attending an after-school program at Booker T. Washington where he is the only child with special needs. “All of the park and recreational staff know him and take care of him,” Bobbie says. Bobbie calls the program a “blessing” because it makes it possible for her to attend nursing school at Midway College, while Kahlil interacts with people outside of the home who know and care about him.

“The teachers are wonderful, helping him at all times,” Bobbie says. “That’s wonderful because I don’t need to worry about anything.”