NBA legend and philanthropist, Shaquille O’Neal, has stepped in to pay for the funeral and related costs for four young sisters who died in a house fire in Chadbourn, North Carolina, on Aug. 30.
The girls, siblings aged 2, 4, 6, and 7, were trapped in the home with their father, Patrick Ellis, and their 11-year-old sister. Both Ellis and the 11-year-old survived the blaze. Their mother, Reagan Noelle Powers, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse. She was arrested and held on a $400,000 bond. Since posting bond, Powers has been released.
O’Neal, who serves as director of Community Relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, is working with multiple law enforcement agencies to support the family financially.
“It touches every one of us parents, neighbors, and human beings,” O’Neal said during a video call with Fox 5. “It was not just a gesture of support; it was a moral responsibility. These were innocent lives, full of promise, taken far too soon.”
Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett spoke about the generous donation. He stressed the importance of rallying around the family after such a tragic incident.
“The loss the Ellis family has endured is one that shakes us all to our core,” he said. “Our goal is to remind them they do not walk this journey alone.”
Sheriff O’Neal’s donation will fully cover expenses for the girls’ memorial service, scheduled for Sept. 13, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. Representatives from the sheriff’s office plan to attend in support of the family and the Henry County community.
Families in Chadbourn and beyond have rallied around the Ellis family, sending prayers, meals, and messages of solidarity.
The gesture is not surprising as Shaq is known for extending a helping hand to those in need. In 2019, he lent a hand in paying for the funeral expenses of a nine-year-old girl. Jazmine Barnes was shot in the head and died during a drive-by shooting in Houston. Once again, O’Neal stepped up to ease the burden of Barnes’s mother, Alexis Dilbert, who was also shot during the incident, WSBTV reported. Utilizing his wealth to help those less fortunate is a constant reminder of the former NBA big man’s even greater sense of compassion.
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