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Alone, but not afraid: Jamie Pickett’s rocky upbringing

Related Topics: Grandparent

To say that Jamie Pickett had to be independent as a child is an understatement.

Growing up in North Carolina, Pickett’s childhood was not like a typical western childhood. He lived with his grandparents growing up, as his father was in prison and his mom, a drug user, left the family when he was young.

He never had a family to show him how to act or what to do — in other words, he had to learn how to live life by himself. He had no one to teach him, he said.

“All the stuff I know, the knowledge I have, I got it on my own.