South Bay community helps 4 kids after mother suddenly dies
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- When a single mother of four young children suddenly passes away, who takes over caring for the kids? In San Jose a brother, not much older than the children, stepped in.
His high school sweetheart is also helping out, but the family is struggling financially. ABC7 News found out how the community is trying to rally around the family.
Hannah Pasby reads to the kids most nights. The 22-year-old is co-guardian to her boyfriend's four young siblings.
Jack Avamolifua is 22 years old now, but tragedy struck his family when he was only 19. His single mother suddenly died of stomach cancer in 2012 and his youngest sister was just 3-years-old at the time. And so he and Pasby became parents overnight.
"We're kind of learning how to parent while we are parenting," Pasby said.
Avamolifua quit college and works full time, but when rent in their Section 8 housing went up, they couldn't afford it and so they moved in with Pasby's parents.
Pasby said, "It's very cramped. Food goes really fast."
Leilani Puaauli is 16 years old and calls it a controlled struggle. The teen said, "It's crazy. I don't know how we keep it together."
But now this family is getting some more help. A friend started a GoFundMe page and they're half way to their goal of $7,000 -- money they'd use for a new home. Most of the donations are from anonymous sources.
"For them to go out of their way and give to us, it's such a blessing," Avamolifua said.
To give Avamolifua and Pasby an extra financial boost, there will be a fundraiser at Britannia Arms on Almaden Expressway Wednesday from 6-9 p.m.
The organizer is a total stranger. She's never met the family, but simply wanted to help.
