College Student Raises Her Five Younger Siblings After Both Parents Pass Away

Sep 02, 2020 by apost team

Members of the millennial generation tend to get a lot of flak from their elders for quite a few reasons, but much of this criticism tends to be unfounded, particularly when you learn about young people such as Orlando, Florida resident Samantha Rodriguez. She was just 17 years old when she had to face the prospect of raising her little brother and four sisters on her own. On a 2019 episode of The View, Rodriguez opened up about the experience.

Cancer claimed the lives of Samantha's parents at a time when most teen girls are focused on learning to drive, graduating high school, experimenting with makeup, and juggling romantic partners.

Samantha's mother was the first to pass away from cervical cancer in 2013; her father's turn came three years later when he was diagnosed with an aggressive case of lymphoma, a blood cancer that has dozens of variations, reports ABC News.

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As The Daily Mail reports, Samantha, 17 when both her parents had passed, wasn't even a legal adult when she and her siblings became orphans. Four years later — at 21 years old — Samantha recounted the hardships of being parentless and living with five younger siblings on an episode of The View.

 "I learned so much from my mom. I was like her sidekick. I learned what it meant to raise a family," Samantha told CNN.

"I never really had the chance to tell her how I felt. I couldn't talk about it because I'm a kid. So I just kept it all bottled up. And it's tough," Samantha added while speaking to the hosts on The View.

The Rodriguez family consists of Samantha, 22, Milagros, 17, Brenda, 16, Michael, 13, Bella, 10, and Destiny, 8.

On The View, Samantha told the audience that she makes ends meet by working part-time as a waitress while also using her parents' death benefits. 

Samantha and her siblings did get some relief in 2019, however, when the sheriff's office bought them a new car, as CNN reports.

"It really didn't sink in until a couple of days after," Samantha told reporters. "Everything I plan now for the kids is so much easier. I don't have to call for a ride. I'm very grateful for it. All these people reminded me I'm not alone."

Generation gaps will never go away; they are part of life and we need them to a certain degree, but it is important that we learn from people from all generations. Be sure to pass this on to your friends and relatives so that they can learn about Samantha and all the great things that young people can accomplish even in times of great adversity. And let us know what you think about Samantha's story.