Kansas
Triumph over darkness: Kansas City man shares journey of faith, family, healing
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Citian Geoffrey Arbuckle is sharing his message of hope this holiday season, crediting his family, faith and community for helping him find fulfillment after a lifelong battle with mental health.
“It is an absolute miracle in the way this community and this city have come around me, and I just want to show them it was worth it,” Geoffrey said.
At the age of 20, Geoffrey found himself fighting for his life after a drunk driver put his college baseball career on hold.
The crash left him with a broken neck, his left side paralyzed and in a constant state of excruciating pain.
Geoffrey Arbuckle
“I spent months in the hospital and months in rehabilitation, learning how to walk again. Having recovered from that, I think that I carried the weight of that accident for decades and I really didn’t pay attention to my mental health,” he said. “I think the miracle of surviving a broken neck, paralysis and recovery was a weight that I was too immature and maybe too young of a Christian in my faith to bear.”
Eventually, Geoffrey’s mental health struggles led him to lose hope, slowly chipping away at his desire to live.
On May 5, 2023, he attempted to end his life, but destiny had different plans.
“I credit my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who was with me in the garage when I made that fateful decision,” he said. “I didn’t realize I would live, I didn’t realize that I would be saved, but I did know that He would never leave me and that faith permeates every aspect of my life.”
Once again, Geoffrey found himself fighting for his life. But this time, he was surrounded by the unwavering support of his guardian angel China, his wife.
KSHB 41
“It’s no different than if our spouse got a medical diagnosis that was debilitating or they lost their job,” China Arbuckle said. “We don’t just leave them, we’re there unconditionally through thick and thin, through the good and the bad times, and I just knew that our relationship was strong enough that we could make it through anything and I love him.”
The attempt on his life left Geoffrey with permanent vision loss, but the Arbuckle family was determined to illuminate a new path.
Geoffrey’s son, Chandler, came across Missouri’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which offers a program called the Business Enterprise Program.
At its core, the program is known for creating job opportunities for visually impaired Missourians by developing business sites in state, federal and other locations.
Geoffrey applied and was admitted into the program in February.
“I went through an interview process, I went through some testing and then was immediately put into their training program,” he said. “And after graduating, I was then given the opportunity to own and operate my own business.”
KSHB 41
By October, Geoffrey was given the green light to own and operate a convenience store inside a downtown Kansas City federal building.
Due to federal regulations, KSHB can’t disclose the location of his store, but Geoffrey believes faith and hope have returned every time he shows up for work.
“This is the best time of my life. I am doing exactly what I want to do every day,” he said.
From balancing business margins to ensuring the store is stocked and in top shape, Geoffrey is able to give his customers a unique experience.
Each customer’s selection fuels his family’s miracle and dispenses hope to a man who now walks by faith rather than sight.
“This miracle, I bear differently. I share it, actually, with the community; I don’t hide it,” Geoffrey said. “I will no longer hide my disabilities. I may work with less, but I’m not less. I’m more blessed to be here, I’m more blessed to be in this community, and I wouldn’t trade my spiritual sight and my spiritual health for my physical sight or physical health.”
The Business Entrepreneurs Program under Missouri’s Vocations Rehabilitation Services helps blind persons achieve success as self-employed entrepreneurs.
As Kansas City continues to embrace the holiday season, a time when loneliness and darkness are often most felt, the Arbuckle family hopes their community remembers there are angels all around to guide you through life’s darkest steps.
“There’s a lot of depression, especially this time of year,” China Arbuckle said. “It’s a joyous season for me, but I understand that there are a lot of people that don’t see it that way, and they just need to get help. Call someone, call a friend, call us, call a help hotline; help is there.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts and actions, text or call the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.
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KSHB 41 Traffic anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers all sorts of transportation topics across Kansas City. Have a story idea to share or a question about something in your neighborhood? Send Daniela a news tip.
One of the top prospects in the 2027 boys’ high school basketball recruiting class recently trimmed his list of suitors, and the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves firmly in the mix.
KU is one of eight schools to make the cut for 2027 five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, according to On3 National Basketball Reporter Joe Tipton. His list of eight includes some of the best programs in the country: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, BYU, Arkansas, UConn, and Louisville.
The 6-foot-7 Charlotte, North Carolina, native is one of the best players in the 2027 class. He’s currently ranked as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 1 player at his position, according to the most recent On3.com 2027 player rankings.
As a junior this past year at Compass Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, Henry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as he helped lead his team to a 25-3 record.
He followed that up with an impressive performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp this summer, leading all attendees in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game). He was also a member of the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup earlier this summer in León, Mexico.
When speaking about his game, Henry mentions his versatility and how he’s developed over the past year.
“I’m just very versatile,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview. “I can play one through four and just help my teammates and hit shots and play defense. I watch a lot of KD (Kevin Durant) and Paul George. How they score it, and how they could shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch. I’ve gotten tougher and just more aggressive when I transferred AZ Compass and just being able to get downhill, I feel like that’s really developed for me.”
When asked about what he’s looking for in a potential home at the college level, Henry says he wants to be challenged and grow his game for the NBA.
“What I’m looking for in school is someone that just pushes me to be better,” Henry said. “Help me grow into the person I know I can be and someone who will help me reach my potential. I want to play for a coach that will hold me accountable and help me make me uncomfortable and keep growing and keep getting better and just help me reach the NBA, which is my ultimate goal.”
Early Contenders
Right now the early favorite to land Henry may be the basketball program with the least amount of notoriety of the final eight schools – and that is Ohio State.
Henry has a lot of familial ties to the university as his older brother Chris Henry Jr. is a five-star incoming freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes football team this year, and his older sister Seini Henry is a talented women’s basketball player at Ohio State.
He’s already taken an unofficial visit to the school and has also taken an unofficial visit to BYU. Thus far, they are the only schools to have received a visit.
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The Royals have been linked to shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) — if he makes it that far — left-hander Gio Rojas out of Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS, outfielder Eric Booth Jr. out of Oak Grove (Fla.) HS, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, among others. Maybe they shake up the board and go with Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS left-hander/outfielder Jacob Grindlinger, who is just 17 years old after reclassifying for this year’s Draft and has legitimate upside as a two-way player. Grindlinger is No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and is rising on boards as Draft day nears.
Prep players usually mean a lot of upside but with more risk, while college players bring a higher floor and more experience — often with a chance to move quickly. Over the full Draft, the Royals are going to value both.
“There’s a good mix of high school and college,” Bridges said. “To tell you the truth, our range is pretty broad. There’s a clear-cut four players, five players in this Draft, and then believe it or not, where we’re picking, you can go a number of different directions. So we have a pretty good balance of what we’re looking at, both high school and college.”
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 4-2-9
Evening: 2-7-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 7 drawing
Red Balls: 07-26, White Balls: 12-18
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 7 drawing
27-43-48-49-50, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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