Recently retired Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was known for his sensitivity and concern for others during what became a Hall of Fame-worthy career.
That willingness to help others has continued as he and wife Gabrielle Union have contributed money toward paying for the funeral expenses of an Alabama teenager who committed suicide after being the subject of anti-gay bullying.
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Nigel Shelby was a 15-year-old freshman at Huntsville High School who took his own life on April 18. Being openly gay, he became the subject of bullying that led the teenager to battle with depression and ultimately resulted in his suicide.
Besides Wade and Union, other celebrities such as Ludacris and Janelle Monae also provided funding to pay for the funeral, which was held on April 27 at Rock Family Worship Center in Huntsville. The casket was decorated with butterflies and and rainbows, with some of the additional money raised being given to Shelby’s mother, Camika.
The tragedy resonated with both Wade and Union, because Wade aand Union had taken part in a Miami Beach Pride Festival parade with Wade’s son, Zion, on April 8.
The donation was another example of Wade’s ability to make an impact beyond the basketball court, having previously combined with Union to donate $200,000 to help students attend a gun control rally in March 2018. That offering came in the wake of the Feb. 14, 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people, including 14 students.
