Remember the beautiful little girl in NC whose mother sold her as a sex slave?

Well, this year I am ever so thankful for Shaquille O'Neal:

Basketball great Shaquille O'Neal paid for funeral of Shaniya Davis

Basketball superstar, Shaquille O’Neal, graciously paid for the funeral of slain 5-year-old, Shaniya Davis, according to CNN.

Shaniya was reported missing by her mother on Nov. 10, and the little girl's lifeless body was found Nov. 16. She had been raped, strangled, and discarded near a North Carolina highway.

Her mother, Antoinette Davis, is charged with selling the girl into prostitution and Mario Andrette McNeill is charged with kidnapping, raping, and murdering Shaniya.

Shaq said he was touched by Shaniya’s story after seeing it on Nancy Grace’s show on HLN.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime-Examiner~y2009m11d26-Basketball-great-Shaquille-ONeal-paid-for-funeral-of-Shaniya-Davis-links-to-photos-videos

Lots of people in L.A. wish the Lakers would have kept him and sent Kobe packing.

Myself included, and I loathe basketball.

for Shaq to do---what a nice man.

And God keep hold of that little angel.

and what an incredibly sad and shocking one it is. Thanks to Shaq for kindness in the face of such a brutal tragedy...

A hell of a thread to catch you on but hope you are well.

:hi:

always nice you see you, regardless of the circumstance :)

:loveya:

Isn't it amazing that within this one tragic story we see the worst of mankind and the best?

O8) Shaquille O8)Shaniya O8)

I will never be able to understand cruelty to children or animals--the truly helpless. Good on Shaq. May she be at peace in whatever afterlife might exist.

blamed. Why?

generosity. Why give them print when there will be plenty of other articles just about them. This is about Shaq giving the child a descent burial.

Good for Shaq. No photo with this one. Just glad to hear it, although I remain stunned about what cruelties people are capable of.

I always get jumped on for it but fuck it. She tortured that girl - NO second chance.

hissssssssssss

With one exception, I've never watched more than 5 minutes of a basketball game.

The exception was happening to stumble on Mr. O'Neal in a playoff series a number of years ago.

Watching that giant man move with grace and precision on the court held me - a total non-basketball fan - transfixed for the entire game. And I mean, you couldn't otherwise pay me to watch a basketball game.

It's great to hear that a person of such grace apparently derives it from deep inside.