TITLE: Michael Jordan Holds Emotional Video Call With Former High School Teacher in Hospice
SLUG: michael-jordan-calls-hospice-teacher
CONTENT:
NBA legend Michael Jordan virtually reunited with a beloved high school teacher on May 18, fulfilling her wish to speak with him while she receives hospice care in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Ms. Etta, who taught Jordan more than four decades ago at Emsley A. Laney High School, is a patient at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. Staff members said she frequently mentioned Jordan when sharing memories of her favorite students and asked for a chance to hug him one last time.
After several unsuccessful attempts to reach the six-time NBA champion, hospice social worker Wendy answered a call from an unfamiliar number. “Is this Ms. Etta?” the caller asked. Jordan was on the line.
Wendy drove to Ms. Etta’s room and arranged a video call. According to the facility, the pair “laughed, reminisced, picked at each other, and shared a moment that brought tears to everyone in the room.” A photo released by LifeCare shows Jordan smiling during the conversation.
Jordan, 63, grew up in North Carolina and graduated from Laney in 1981 after famously missing the varsity basketball squad as a sophomore. In 2019 he donated more than $1.1 million to the school, directing half of the gift to its athletic department.
The call marked a poignant reunion seven years after that donation, giving Ms. Etta and her family a memory they “will carry with them forever,” the hospice center said.
Source: ESPN
