Shaquille O’Neal Donating Home To Family Of 12-Year Old Boy Who Was Paralyzed In Shooting

The Payton family will always remember Shaquille O’Neal’s decision to give them a warm home. The Hall of Fame center decided to donate a home to the family of a 12-year-old boy that was shot at a football game in Atlanta. Unfortunately, the boy is now tied to a wheelchair.

In an interview with WXIA-TV, O’Neal said that Isaiah Payton and his family live in a one-bedroom apartment, adding that it wasn’t adjusted to the boy’s new condition. O’Neal heard about the story, and decided to buy a new home for the family.

He will even pay the rent for the calendar year.

“I reached out to the family because I wanted to see the son and I said he’s not going to release the sign until she’s able to move on the first floor. So, we found her a house. I’m going to pay her rent for the year and I’m going to give her some furniture and it’s sad because her son is paralyzed from the chest down and no mother should have to go to that,” O’Neal said.

Isaiah was paralyzed when he was shot during a football game in August. Payton and Damean Spear were on their way out of the high school game between Mays High School and Carver High School. Unfortunately, the boys were caught in the middle of a gunfire. Spears was shot in the leg and was later released from the hospital. Isaiah was hit in the spine and will now require long-term disability.

“It’s just sad,” O’Neal said. “It could have been any one of us. It could have been my son. It could’ve been your cousin. She was living in a one-bedroom apartment with her two boys, so we found her a house in a nice area.”

O’Neal’s charitable donations were followed by other donations from two members of the board at Papa John’s and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. The family needs all the help in this world, and O’Neal is doing an incredible job to help them out. Hopefully, other celebrities will follow his example and help someone in need.