At a very young age, Amanda was forced to take on the role of a mother figure to her siblings. The children were often left alone for extended periods of time and, because the family moved so often, they were frequently out of school. Between missing school herself and caring for her siblings, Amanda fell so far behind that she dropped out after the seventh grade. At 16 Amanda reached out to her aunt for help, and she agreed to take care of Amanda and the two oldest boys. Living with her aunt helped Amanda get her life back on track, and within three months she received her GED and began community college classes. When she turned 18, Amanda moved to Myrtle Beach to continue her college education. When she met Derrick, they instantly fell in love, were married, and soon welcomed their first born, Walker. But shortly thereafter Amanda's brother, Jacob, informed her that he and his younger brothers were being taken away from their parents and placed in foster care. Without hesitation, Derrick and Amanda brought the boys to live with them.