Michael Jordan tracked down his former Laney High School teacher, known as Ms. Etta, and connected with her via FaceTime while she receives end-of-life care in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Ms. Etta entered hospice care with Lower Cape Fear LifeCare on May 11, and her wish was to reconnect with her most famous former student. Staff at the facility described her desire as wanting to "hug Michael's neck one more time," according to the Wilmington StarNews.
After multiple failed attempts to reach Jordan, a social worker named Wendy picked up a call from an unknown number. Jordan's opening words left no doubt about why he was calling: "Is this Ms. Etta?"
Wendy drove straight to Ms. Etta's residence and arranged the FaceTime session between the two. According to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare staff, "They laughed, reminisced, picked at each other, and shared a moment that brought tears to everyone in the room," per WECT 6. Footage from the call showed Ms. Etta smiling on her couch as a relaxed Jordan spoke with her.
Ms. Etta taught at Laney High School for more than 40 years, including during Jordan's time there before he graduated in 1981. She had frequently brought up Jordan while reflecting on her teaching career, which is what prompted hospice staff to try to contact him in the first place.
Jordan has maintained a connection to Wilmington over the years. In November 2018, he returned to the city after Hurricane Florence to help hand out Thanksgiving meals and donated 50 pairs of Air Jordan sneakers to children at a local Boys & Girls Club. In 2019, he gave $1.1 million to Laney High School, split evenly between athletics and academic programs.
