A mother should never have to bury her own son.
On Wednesday, 13-year-old Malachi Hemphill accidentally shot and killed himself while showing off a gun on Instagram Live. Malachi's shocking death occurred with his mother Shaniqua Stephens in a nearby room, immediately responding when she heard the gunshot. "The hardest part of today was when the man asked me what color casket that I wanted to put my 13-year-old son in," Shaniqua told WXIA.
Upon hearing the news about Malachi, Shaquille O'Neal wanted to help out. On Thursday, O'Neal visited Hemphill's family, and offered to pay for the funeral.
"We just broke down and started crying because Malachi didn’t have any insurance," Hemphill's grandmother Shantirea Bankston said. "We wasn’t prepared to bury him this young. We didn’t have insurance for him. So to have that from Shaquille O’Neal it was a blessing and very touching, and we appreciate everything he do for the community."
Shaq's act of kindness is nothing new to people in the Atlanta area. According to WXIA, the former NBA player has been lending a helping hand to families for years.
"No mother should have to go through this," O'Neal said in a statement. "I can only imagine the pain that she and all of Malachi’s family must be feeling. I just wanted to do what I could to help them at such a terrible time." In what is likely the darkest moment in Shaniqua's life, Shaq's good deed has proven to be a glimmer of light.
