NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is stepping in to help a grieving North Carolina family after a devastating house fire claimed the lives of four young girls.

Patrick Ellis lost his daughters — Kalani, Kendall, Josephina, and Sophia, ages 2, 4, 6, and 7 — when their home in Chadbourn, NC, caught fire on August 30. Ellis and his 11-year-old daughter were able to escape, as did the girls’ mother, Reagan Powers, who is now facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse. WCET reported that Powers had left the children under the supervision of the 11-year-old when the fire broke out.

O’Neal, who has served as director of community relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office since 2021, promised to pay for the funeral services for the four children. 

“It touches every one of us parents, neighbors, and human beings,” O’Neal said. “It was not just a gesture of support, it was a moral responsibility. These were innocent lives, full of promise, taken far too soon.”

“You are not alone in your pain,” O’Neal said. “We see you. We mourn with you and we’re here to help you carry this burden in any way we can.”

Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett said his office is coordinating the donation despite the family living in Columbus County. 

“The loss the Ellis family has endured is one that shakes us all to our core. Our goal is to remind them they do not walk this journey alone,” Scandrett said.

Powers, who was charged in connection with the tragedy, has bonded out of jail and is due back in court Thursday, according to WCET.