Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden is helping out a 20-year-old international Michigan State University (MSU) student who was critically injured during an on-campus shooting on Feb. 13.
Last week, 20-year-old John Hao’s life was changed forever. He was one of the students shot at Michigan State University and was left paralyzed from the waist down. Hao is a huge fan of James Harden, and when Harden heard Hao’s story, he stepped in: pic.twitter.com/Htm2RXRdQ2
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 23, 2023
Harden reportedly sent John Hao sneakers, including a game-worn pair, contributed to his GoFundMe, and spoke with Hao as he recovered in the hospital, according to ESPN.
“Everything will work itself out, be strong,” Harden told Hao over a video call. “You’re alright. You’ll be alright, I promise you are.”
“I love when you’re smiling too. I love when you’re smiling, alright? I’m with you,” Harden added. “I know it’s tough right now but you have to stay physically strong you know what I mean? You just gotta just gotta think positive things and keep pushing and keep fighting,” he added. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
“I heard that he was a fan of mine, so I wanted to get up on that ASAP and just see what I could do, anything I could do,” Harden said after Thursday’s game, according to ESPN. “The more I can encourage and rub off this energy that I have and give him hope, I feel like that’s what I’m here for. And that’s what I’ve got this platform for. Hopefully he can recover and bounce back out of that sooner than later, but I gave him my number, so whenever he ever feels like he needs anything he can call me and I check up on him.”
Hao is an international student from China who was shot in the back, which resulted in a severed spinal cord and injured lungs, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down, according to the GoFundMe. The fundraising page was setup by Hao’s roommate to cover his medical expenses and support his family, ESPN reported. (RELATED: Details On MSU Shooter Crush The Gun-Grabbing Narrative)
Hao’s GoFundMe has raised over $385,000.