Michael Jordan Surprises High School Teacher In Hospice
Michael Jordan is the GOAT of basketball, a billionaire entrepreneur and one of the greatest athletes in history. But once upon a time he was a regular student at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.
In this school, Michael received teaching from Mrs. Etta. Today, she is being treated at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, not far from the high school. And she recently received a surprise from her famous former student, as part of her wish to speak to him one last time.
According to staff at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, Ms. Etta was reflecting on her memories as a teacher, and Michael’s name kept coming up. The staff tried their best to contact him so that Ms. Etta could fulfill her “bucket” wish and speak to him again.
They had been unsuccessful in reaching Michael until one day, a staff member named Wendy received a call from an unknown number. “It was Michael Jordan,” a post on the hospice’s social media page reveals. Wendy was apparently home when she received the call, so she immediately jumped in her car and drove to Ms. Etta’s house so she and Michael could chat on FaceTime.
“They laughed, reminisced, picked on each other and shared a moment that brought everyone in the room to tears. A memory his family will carry with them forever,” the post read. “That’s what palliative care is. It’s about living as comfortably and fully as possible. It’s about creating moments of connection, peace, laughter, and love. Sometimes those moments are quiet. Sometimes they’re unforgettable. And sometimes… they even involve the GOAT.”
Thanking Michael for granting Ms. Etta’s wish, hospice staff also shared photos of the two of them on FaceTime: Ms. Etta in her bed and Michael beaming from ear to ear on the phone screen.
Given how private Michael is now, it didn’t take long for this heartwarming story to go viral, with people praising his kindness on social media. (And I notice how cute Ms. Etta’s pink nails are!)
“It’s such a harsh kindness. It’s hard talk to someone at hospice, someone who knows they’re at the end, and that’s the elephant sitting on the whole conversation no matter what you’re talking about,” one Reddit user wrote. “It’s a beautiful gift to receive one last talk, but it’s such an important and difficult thing. Celebrities could easily send flowers, a music video or a half-measure, but stepping up to offer a real connection in this way is beautiful.”
“Teachers are the coolest, most selfless, most important people on the planet. Always remember that. They make the world go round,” another user wrote, while someone else added that Michael “obviously adored her” as a student.
“Very nice. It’s nice to see people making fun of their teachers, especially since a large part of the public vilifies us,” replied a teacher. “Being a teacher is pretty bleak these days, so I’ll embrace positivity when and where I can, no matter how small.”
A little kindness goes a long way!
