Three weeks ago, on Jan. 7, Grayson Roberts, who was born with a rare eye condition and has been blind his whole life, lost his home and one of his passions to the Eaton Fire. Now someone with the same passion has stepped up to make at least one thing right for the 10-year-old.
Grayson’s family, like so many others, were forced to flee their Altadena home as the firestorm was nearly at their doorstep.
“When I walked out the door, the fire was just right there,” Grayson’s older brother Gavin told KTLA. “You could see it from the mountains, and it was just blowing towards our house.”
Fortunately, Grayson and his family, two brothers and his mother, Terica Roberts, were able to make it to safety, though their home was completely destroyed in the fire.
All that was left of the 10-year-old’s passion for music and drums were charred cymbals and pieces of his drum kit.
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Grayson Roberts, 10, getting a new drum kit from Eric Hernandez, drummer for Bruno Mars on Jan. 25, 2025. (KTLA) -
Eric Hernandez, drummer for Bruno Mars, seen in this undated photo. (@spiribolt) -
Grayson Roberts, 10, getting a new drum kit from Eric Hernandez, drummer for Bruno Mars on Jan. 25, 2025. (KTLA) -
Grayson Roberts, 10, getting a new drum kit from Eric Hernandez, drummer for Bruno Mars on Jan. 25, 2025. (KTLA) -
Grayson Roberts, 10, getting a new drum kit from Eric Hernandez, drummer for Bruno Mars on Jan. 25, 2025. (KTLA) -
Grayson Roberts seen playing the drums in this undated photo. (viewer image) -
Terica and Grayson Roberts speak to KTLA on Jan. 17, 2025. -
Grayson Roberts, 10, has a rare genetic eye condition that causes eventual blindness in his eyes. (KTLA) -
Grayson Roberts checks out a KTLA photojournalist’s camera on Jan. 17, 2025. (KTLA)
Being blind has never slowed the endlessly optimistic boy down, his family says. Last year, Grayson partnered with one of the world’s largest mobility companies to deliver more than 150 support canes to blind and visually impaired people in Ghana. He has also helped raise thousands of dollars for others with disabilities.
This is where Eric Hernandez, a world-renowned musician, drummer for music sensation Bruno Mars and a husband and father, steps in.
“Hi, Grayson. My name is Eric Hernandez. Like you, I’m a musician just like you,” he tells Grayson in a moment captured by KTLA’s cameras and reporter John Fenoglio. “I saw John’s story about you last Friday night and it touched me. The first picture of you was you behind a drum set. It touched me so much and to see all the adversity you’ve been through and to see you losing your home, it made me feel like I had to get you. So, I brought you a drum set.”
Hernandez asked for permission to autograph Grayson’s bass drum, his note reading: “To Grayson, so you can keep the beat alive!”
“Honestly, I’m blessed and lucky to have met you,” Hernandez tells Grayson. “I look forward to you keeping the beat, man.”
A GoFundMe campaign to help the Roberts family can be found here. A fundraiser to help the family rebuild can also be found here.
