MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — A North Carolina couple is helping other grandparents raising their grandchildren with a virtual support group, Mount Airy Grands. 

What You Need To Know

  • Almost 2% of North Carolina grandparents are raising their grandchildren, according to the U.S. Census

  • Rich and Allene Young adopted their granddaughter, Sebellah, in 2018

  • The Youngs created a support group for grandparents raising grandchildren when they lived in Arizona, and revamped it virtually once they moved to North Carolina

Rich and Allene Young adopted their granddaughter, Sebellah. Their daughter struggled with addiction. When they found out she was pregnant with Sebellah, they urged her to return to treatment. 

The Youngs took Sebellah home when she was four months old. What they thought would be temporary turned into the start of their life together. Sebellah’s mother battled her parents for custody of her daughter for three years. Ultimately, the Youngs got to adopt their granddaughter in 2018. 

“Our daughter could never deal with that separation or loss, and I think that contributed to a lot of her continued drug use,” said Rich Young. 

Their daughter continued to battle addiction, dying from an overdose the following year. In 2019, the Youngs decided to move from Arizona to North Carolina. One of their sons and his family moved to North Carolina too. The Youngs wanted to give Sebellah a life she deserves in a safe environment. 

Now, 7-year-old Sebellah doesn’t know a life without Lolly and Pops, what she affectionately calls Rich and Allene. Navigating this journey prompted the Youngs to create a support group, Mount Airy Grands, to help other grandparents who stepped in to take care of their grandchildren. Initially, they had a handful of families meeting in-person back in Arizona. When they moved to North Carolina, they shifted to virtual meetings. 

“There are a lot of single grandparents who are doing this by themselves, and there are a lot of grandparents who don’t have this kind of support. We know we’re blessed, so we wanted to share our story to invite others to get the help they deserve,” said Rich Young. 

The Youngs say building a community of grandparents who understand the experience is priceless. They’re glad they can share ideas, advice and grievances together. 

“For them to have a community of people walking the same journey, it feels less alone when there are other people there to be able to share experiences,” said Allene Young. 

The Youngs have seven grandchildren in total, so Sebellah gets to spend a lot of time with her cousins. As she grows up, the Youngs are anticipating hard conversations about Sebellah’s mother, but they are committed to being honest with her. 

“We’re going to follow her lead. We’ll be honest with her, and if she asks questions, we’ll answer them,” said Rich Young. 

According to the U.S. Census, almost 2% of grandparents in North Carolina are taking care of their grandchildren. Mount Airy Grands meets virtually every first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. For more information, click here.