He Saved Her From Hurricane Katrina, Years Later She Asked Him One Unexpected Question

Newfound Fame

With the high amount of publicity on Maroney’s and LeShay’s story, after their appearance on “The Real”, the two received a lot of attention from the public. Shantrell told People, “LeShay is famous! Everyone has been coming up to us every day, asking us about it.” LeShay, on the other hand, had a different opinion on the matter, “Yeah, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to run bleachers when I go back to school because I missed practices.”

Military Influence

Due to the strong bond the pair has, as well as the positive influence Maroney has had on LeShay, LeShay decided to join the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, also known as the JROTC. The JROTC is a pre-training United States military-sponsored9 program to teach “students in secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.” LeShay joined the branch at Bay High School in Waveland, Mississippi.

Following In His Footsteps

“It was very interesting and a challenge, and because I had never done it before. I knew if I joined I would have help from Mike along the way if I needed it, or was confused about anything,” LeShay told People. And Mike was more than happy enough to extend his help.

One Question

LeShay and Maroney had formed an unbreakable bond over such a short period of time. So it was no question of who she would be inviting to escort her to the JROTC ball.  Maroney told People, “I’m going because I would do anything to repay the hug to LeShay and her family. They mean as much to me as my own.”

The Dance

Of all of the attendees that were there to participate in the JROTC ball, LeShay and Maroney were also one of them. When recalling her decision to invite Maroney, she said, “Nobody else was more perfect,” than Maroney to be her date. 

Addressing The Crowd

Maroney made the long drive from Texas to Mississippi to attend the JROTC ball. Apart from spending time with LeShay, he also made a special address to the attending crowd about his experience during Hurricane Katrina.“She [LeShay] just survived one of the most massive hurricanes in American history. If she’s smiling, I can smile too,” Maroney told the attendees.