Carolina Panthers DL Kony Ealy knows what it’s like to grow up in a family with a special-needs child.

The former Mizzou standout was the youngest of 11 children and his older sister was born with disabilities.

Now, Ealy is using his NFL platform to help the Allegro Foundation, which helps children with disabilities, according to NFLPlayerEngagement.com:

“I just want to be a part of helping [the foundation] grow,” he said. “Draw people in who have a common interest. These kids deserve as much attention as other kids. It’s not their fault that they were born a certain way or had an accident. They deserve a chance.

“My future is going to be set as I go from the things I do now. I do things on a professional level and then that transitions into the Allegro foundation. Letting that build my platform and people will see that. They’ll see the things I do in my off time. I’m really active as far as giving back.”

Ealy said he wants to help those who face challenges similar to his sister’s:

“I was blessed in two different scenarios,” he said. “One, my sister has a disability but she doesn’t complain. She’s terrific. The other scenario is I was blessed because I don’t have those challenges. But, I don’t actually like to look at it as a challenge. It’s a blessing that she can do what she’s doing. I just have that mentality that I want to better myself. I see myself in a certain role. She really drove me to say I want to do better so I can help her.”

It’s great to see that Ealy is so willing to give his time to those less fortunate than he is.