Last month, TODAY.com shared a story about a 14-year-old boy named Eric Kilburn Jr., who suffered from excruciating pain because he couldn't find shoes to fit his size 23 feet.
“I got you big man,” Shaquille O’Neal wrote on the TODAY Show Instagram after the story was published. And he meant it.
Days later, Eric Jr. scored five pairs of sneakers from Reebok that were originally made for O’Neal. Then, he received a special phone call from the basketball legend himself.
“I was flabbergasted,” Eric Jr., who stands 6 feet, 10 inches, told a reporter at Hometown Life. “My soul left my body for a moment, I was so shocked.”
During their conversation, O'Neal, 51, revealed that when he was growing up, his mom, like Eric Jr.'s mother, struggled to find him footwear. O'Neal also offered to connect the high school freshman in Michigan with a designer who makes dress shoes up to size 26.
The next day, Eric Jr. received a text from Shaq. “There’s much more coming big man. Love you,” the message read, in part.
Eric Jr.’s plight has touched the hearts of people across the country. Reebok, Under Armour and Puma are creating custom shoes and cleats for Eric Jr., while a GoFundMe has raised more than $24,000 dollars. According to the fundraising page, the Kilburns plan to use the money towards future footwear and specialized sports equipment for Eric Jr., who plays football. He'd also like to try basketball.
“We were so blown away by the support from not only our community but the (am I dreaming?) nation, maybe even global,” Rebecca wrote in a Facebook post on March 31. "The icing on the cake for my boys was Shaquille O’Neal reaching out and showing them so much love. So genuinely kind, and not looking for the spotlight — just wanting to reach out and connect with Eric. Jr. "
While speaking with TODAY.com in March, Rebecca shared that Eric. Jr. suffers from painful calluses, blisters and ingrown toenails caused by ill-fitting shoes. He also sprained his ankle playing football because he didn't have cleats. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the average American male shoe size is 10.5.
“I have spent hours crying feeling like I’ve failed my child because I'm not able to find what he needs,” Rebecca said.
At one point, she offered to buy him $1,500 custom orthotics, despite the fact that his feet are still growing and it would have stretched the family's budget.
“The orthotics catalog was mainly Velcro shoes. Eric was like, ‘I’d rather be barefoot,’” Kilburn recalled. “It’s hard enough to stand out like he does. You don’t want to be the giant kid walking down the hallway in old man Velcro shoes.”
“People stare at me a lot,” Eric Jr. told TODAY.com.
Now, they’ll just be admiring his cool kicks.
“I hit so many dead ends with people laughing when I called to ask about shoes,” Rebecca said. “It was a very lonely feeling. And now we’re overflowing with support, generosity, and kindness.”
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