Shaq pays for the funeral of Louisiana boy killed in car crash
When Keshon Batiste's family could not afford to give him a homegoing service, the NBA All-Star stepped up with a helping hand
Shaquille O'Neal is once again opening his wallet to help a family with funeral expenses after their child was killed during a car crash.
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Hall of Fame basketball legend, Shaquille O’Neal has frequently reached out to families who suffered tragic losses. He is once again opening his wallet to help a family with the unimaginable, burying a child.
11-year-old Keshon Batiste and another young person were riding in the backseat of a vehicle that crashed into a tree killing them both. While the other boy’s family had life insurance that covered his burial expenses, Batiste’s family did not.
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The family later created a GoFundMe page which raised $3000, but still fell short of funeral costs. O’Neal later heard about the case from local news reports. He reached out to a friend, retired Lafayette City Marshal Phil Conrad, who in turn contacted the family on O’Neal’s behalf. After speaking to the family, he informed the basketball legend of the shortfall, and O’Neal then wrote them a check.
This is not the first time that O’Neal has helped a family in a similar situation. In 2009, O’Neal paid for the funeral for a 5-year-old girl who was kidnapped and killed. In 2017, he paid for yet another burial service for a 13-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed himself while playing with a gun on Instagram.
Just a few months ago, in December of 2019, O’Neal paired for the funeral of a 7-year-old girl in Texas who was shot and killed while riding in a car with her mother and three sisters.
The four-time NBA Champion donates millions of dollars to charities that benefit children including the Boys and Girls Clubs, Communities in Schools, and the Kids Wish Network.
READ MORE: Shaquille O’Neal donates a year’s rent to family of paralyzed 12-year-old shooting victim
O’Neal’s net worth is estimated at over $400 million.
In another act of kindness, O’Neal paid for a laptop for a man shopping with him at a Georgia Best Buy after the man offered O’Neal his condolences for the recent deaths of O’Neal’s sister, his former teammate, Kobe Bryant.
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