A teenager in Independence, Missouri, who wears a size 23 shoe recently got some help from a celebrity who knows what it is like to need some extra room.
Sixteen-year-old Jor’el Bolden needs custom-made kicks, but shoes like that can have a price tag of over $1,000, ABC 7 reported Saturday.
“He’s a giant but he’s a gentle giant,” his mother told KCTV in January, noting that at the time he did not have shoes to wear and the size 22s he had, which were extremely hard to find, did not fit him anymore.
“I’m on a mission because he can’t really go out,” she added.
Because she wanted to provide comfortable shoes for her son, his mother set up a GoFundMe page that raised $11,000. Their story took another delightful turn when Jor’el got something very special in the mail from Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal.
The gift was more than the teen had ever imagined: O’Neal had shipped three boxes of new shoes, clothes, and other items he chose out of his own wardrobe.
“Thank you for taking the time and the money that you have earned to give it to me when I needed it,” a grateful and stunned Jor’el said.
An image shows him holding a red pair of shoes he received from the sports legend:
Shaq wanted to speak with Bolden and send him a gift when his story got out... 👇
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) February 22, 2024
“[Jor’el] didn’t have a shirt on,” his mother said. “I said, ‘I’m sorry he doesn’t have a shirt on,’ and [Shaq] said, ‘What’s up, big sexy?’” 😂😂
Full story: https://t.co/tHcP72tVfV pic.twitter.com/o7RUo6UcHP
O’Neal wears a size 22 and Jor’el’s mother said the shoes he gave to the young man will definitely help for now, adding the money raised will go towards getting her son some shoes in his size.
Social media users shared their thoughts on the gift, one person writing, “Another reason (There’s Many) why I love Shaquille O’Neal!!! What a sweet young man & family. This has prolly changed this young man’s life. Shaq is the GOAT!! Best of luck in all you can now get out an do young man.”
In April, WSLS reported that a teenager in Michigan who also wears a size 23 shoe got some help from O’Neal, who has a deal with Reebok. The company sent the young man a pair of shoes.
