When celebrities can come together and use their influence to impact change it’s a beautiful thing. Thanks to Ludacris, Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union and others, one mother can grieve a bit easier.
Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old high school student in Huntsville, Alabama, killed himself last week over anti-gay bullying and depression.
Nigel’s mother Camika Shelby says, had trouble accepting himself. He experienced depression and sometimes sank into a dark place. She recalls when Nigel finally gathered the courage to come out to her two years ago.
“Coming out at such a young age, it can be hard. You don’t know if you are going to be accepted. He didn’t know if I was going to accept him. He’s my child. I love him. I know him. I already knew.”
Camika says she thought her acceptance would give Nigel the courage to embrace his true self, but she says he still struggled.
“He felt like sometimes he could be him and a lot of times he couldn’t. ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘Don’t apologize.’ I just wish that, I don’t know, that people would just learn to love, you know,” she said.
Nigel was laid to rest on Saturday, TMZ reports efforts to pay for his funeral was spearheaded by Pinky Cole — owner of the popular ATL restaurant Slutty Vegan — and “Master of None” star Lena Waithe, who enlisted their famous friends to help out.
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade are springing into action to help the mother of the Alabama teen who recently died from suicide after he was mercilessly bullied for being gay.
The group of celebs — which also includes Ludacris and Janelle Monae — donated money to help cover Nigel Shelby’s funeral.
Sources wouldn’t say how much money was raised, but it was enough to cover the expense of Nigel’s tombstone, funeral service … and a separate amount to support Camika.
