Shaq & Shaniya Davis: Touched By NC Girl's Death, Sports Superstar Pays For Funeral

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Shaq & Shaniya Davis: Touched By NC Girl's Death, Sports Superstar Pays For Funeral

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/26/shaq-shaniya-davis-touche_n_371605.html



FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl after being moved by national news coverage of the case of Shaniya Davis, who police say was kidnapped and killed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers player was touched by the stories he saw and got in touch with the family to see what he could do to help, a spokeswoman for O'Neal said Thursday.

More than 2,000 people attended the girl's funeral Sunday. Her body was found Nov. 16 beside a rural road.

Her mother, Antionette Davis, who had reported the child missing six days earlier, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution. Mario McNeill is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping in the case.

"I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye," O'Neal told The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.

Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, which handled the service, declined to tell the Fayetteville Observer newspaper how much it cost but added that a child's funeral "averages around $4,500."

[KT2000]

1. Bless his heart n/t

[Blue For You]

2. A thumbs up to Mr. O'Neal!

:thumbsup:

[Berry Cool]

3. Thank you, Shaq.

I'm gonna remember this.

[MamaDem]

4. That was a very heartfelt and generous gesture...

That story makes me tear up every time I hear about it. Her "mother" deserves the very hottest part in hell and that's probably too kind. So senseless...

[Number23]

5. God bless him. And peace to that beautiful, beautiful child.

Her death upset alot of people all over the world.

[Patsy Stone]

6. Wow.

:thumbsup:

[Bitwit1234]

7. That's not all he does

he donates food and turkeys and helps distribute them to the homeless and needy. He makes a lot of money. He surely does. BUT do you see any other big sports star that does stuff like this. It's there money, but if they make so much I think it is only right that they help the needy.

[burning rain]

8. Good for Shaq!

Ensuring that crippling debt isn't piled on heartbreaking loss, is a worthy thing to do.

[JI7]

9. when you see a pic of the girl it's hard to believe what happened to her

she just looks so happy and alive in the pics .