Young man becomes guardian of his brothers after both parents die
A young Brisbane man has taken guardianship of his two teenage brothers following the deaths of both their parents in the space of a month.
The Smith family, from Park Ridge, lost their mother Karen Stagg, 48, on August 31, after a period of sustained illness.
With barely any time to grieve her death, the three boys lost their father Adam, 53, who passed away unexpectedly less than a month later.
Yet in the face of adversity, Jacob, 22, the oldest of the trio, made the brave and selfless decision to take Kane, 15, and Riley, 17, into his care.
Asked if there was ever any hesitation in his decision, Jacob told Yahoo News: “No, not at all. It’s something I needed to do.”
“I love them, they’re my brothers,” he continued.
While Jacob said the death of both his parents was a harrowing ordeal for them, his brothers’ characters have shone through.
“They were obviously been really sad initially, they’re doing the best they can,” he said.
“My brothers have really stepped up and matured which makes my life a whole lot easier.”
Without wanting to cause further disruption to the family, Jacob quit his higher paying FIFO work as an electrician and found work in the local area.
“Everything is close and around us, I didn’t want to uproot the family for them,” Jacob explained in reference to Kane’s school and Riley’s new electrician apprenticeship.
Jacob told Yahoo News his parent’s legacy has helped him approach his new responsibility with a level head.
“They’ve shaped us the way we are, they’ve done so much for us,” he said.
“They gave us good morales, which lead us to leading a life of success thanks to them.”
Brothers ‘overwhelmed’ by community support
While Jacob’s actions have been met with adulation far and wide, he revealed it was his local community’s response that has really helped them get through their traumatic period.
From a $1000 donation from one of Kane’s teachers to local store Olley’s Orange County Market giving the boys a continued supply of fruit and veg and even giving Kane part-time work, Jacob said they can’t thank the community enough.
“With every donations its really taken the stress out of it… it’s been overwhelming,” he said.
“Even people who can’t afford to donate money have still got together and made time to put food hampers together for us.”
The boys’ cousin Jessica has since created a GoFundMe page for the brothers, hoping to ease the financial strain on Jacob’s shoulders.
“These strong, talented and close-knit brothers deserve the chance to grieve, grow and find happiness, without the financial burden they are faced with,” she wrote.
Jacob revealed he has been left stunned by the generosity on the page, with over $11,800 raised so far.
“Keeping food on the table and ensuring that my brothers can grow in the most normal way possible and in the way that they deserve with everything that they need is my main priority,” he explained.
“That has been made a lot easier thanks to the community’s generosity”.
