23-year-old vowed to care for his younger siblings after their parents died unexpectedly

After the sudden deaths of their parents just one week apart, a 23-year-old has taken on the responsibility of adopting his own siblings and caring for his four younger brothers.

Despite the overwhelming grief, he is determined to keep his family together and ensure they are well cared for.

“Right now, I have temporary custody,” Devin Davis told Good Morning America, adding that he is set to return to court to request full custody.

Although he isn’t sure if adoption will be part of the process, he is ready to take that step if needed.

Life for Devin and his four brothers—Jasin, 20, Jakeb, 11, Tobias, 8, and Preston, 5—changed forever when their father, James Andrew Davis, passed away at 42 during a work trip in Florida.

As the eldest sibling, Devin described his father as one of the hardest-working men he had ever known, second only to his grandfather.

He recalled how his father was always willing to do anything for his sons and anyone in the community.

Devin, from Lenoir City, Tennessee, was on a work trip in Florida with his father when he and their manager found James unresponsive in his hotel room.

Despite attempts to revive him with CPR and quick help from first responders, James died that day.

Devin described the experience as “unreal.”

“Even though I know this is happening, it still just don’t feel real. My father was one of my best friends. We did everything together. We fished together, worked together,” he said.

The Davis siblings are unsure of their father’s cause of death. Still, Devin suspects it may have been a heart attack due to a family history of heart issues.

Just days after their father’s death, the family faced another tragedy.

Nearly a week after Devin returned to Tennessee, one of his younger brothers told him their mother, 41-year-old Jennifer Davis, had been hit by a car while chasing the family dog, Rose, who had escaped.

“My mom is a big animal lover, and we just lost our father. She was just trying to make sure these boys didn’t lose anything else that they love,” Devin said, adding that his mom rushed to save Rose.

While she successfully reached the dog, she was hit by an oncoming car while returning.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Captain Stacey Heatherly confirmed that Jennifer was hit by a car and was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in critical condition.

She passed away the following day.

Devin Davis, still grappling with the loss of both parents, is focused on adopting his own siblings and keeping his family united.

He is dedicated to raising his youngest brothers and preserving their strong family bond.

He explained that he wouldn’t be able to keep moving forward without his brothers.

“My parents raised me to be like this, but these boys [are] what’s keeping me pushing every day,” he concluded.

Understanding kinship adoption

Kinship adoption has been a common but often overlooked practice for decades, taking place both formally and informally, says National Council For Adoption.

Recently, efforts to strengthen kinship care placements have increased across the U.S., with many states developing kinship navigator programs and adapting to the Families First Act.

Kinship adoption allows a child to be legally adopted by a relative, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older sibling.

Some states also recognize “fictive kin”—people who are not biologically related but have a close bond with the child—as eligible adoptive parents.

Meanwhile, adoption laws are the same for all families, including those seeking kinship adoption.

However, the process can vary depending on whether it involves foster care or private domestic or international adoption.

Understanding the legal steps is essential for those navigating the system.

In domestic kinship adoptions, birth parents often voluntarily give up their rights, and many prefer placing their child with a relative rather than a foster family.

Here’s Devin sharing their story and his pursuit in adopting his own siblings:

You can also help the Devlin brothers through the difficult road ahead following their devastating loss through GoFundMe.