They are one of the most famous families in America, capturing hearts around the world with their views on life.
The Whittaker family, who live in the small town of Odd, West Virginia, has complicated history with inbreedingcausing some family members to live with devastating genetic defects.
About this writing A mirror.
While some go out to work to earn a living, others are said to be able to communicate only through “grunts and barks” and must rely on others to meet their physical and financial needs. Photographer Mark Laita has been visiting the Whittakers for almost 20 years, revealing the truth about their situation to raise money to improve their lives.
When he first met them in 2004, the Whittakers were living in poverty in a shack-like home surrounded by broken furniture and piles of rubbish. However, since then their lives have gradually improved with Mark’s constant support, as well as his subscribers on the Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel.
He previously created a GoFundMe page to buy the family a new home and sent them money out of his own pocket when he received calls asking for help. But after he found out that he had been scammed out of money, he stopped. In a recent video, he shared how he decided to forgive them, saying that he understood everything.
Whittaker’s inbreeding began with the same brothers, Henry and John, whose children married and went on to have children together. Henry and his wife Sally had seven children, including John, born in 1882. John fell in love with Ada Rigg, his cousin, and they had nine children, including their daughter Gracie in 1920.
As Gracie grew up, she married her cousin John in 1935, with whom she shared both sets of grandparents, and had 15 children. Unfortunately, many of their children were born with severe physical and mental disabilities, which are believed to be the result of inbreeding.
Their eldest child, Eileen, died in June 1997 as a result of a heart attack, and their eldest son, Emery, died a month after his birth in 1938 as a result of pneumonia. Today their 10th child, Betty, born in 1952, became the head of the family after he promised his mother that she would not marry until she could take care of her 14 siblings.
During a recent visit, Mark asked Betty about her parents, but she did not say if they were related, but later confirmed that her mother and father were cousins. Her siblings, Ray and Lauren, seemed unable to communicate through words – instead using grunts, barks and gestures to express themselves. However, they seemed to understand what the photographer Mark was asking without difficulty.
Inbred Whittaker Family / Photo: YouTube/Soft White Underbelly
It was revealed that Lauren’s son, Timmy, was born in 1979 after she was abused. The now 35-year-old was the only member of the Whittaker family to graduate from high school. While in school, he used a fake name to protect his identity.
According to Mark’s YouTube videos, Betty lives with Ray and Lauren, as well as her nephew Timmy. However, other family members – such as her cousins, other brothers and sisters – visit them from time to time. The family is protected by neighbors who don’t like strangers showing up at their doors, and one angry neighbor even threatened Mark when he first came to visit them.
Inbred Whittaker Family / Photo: YouTube/Soft White Underbelly
Commenting on his recent video, one user said, “Thank you Mark and the team for letting us join you on your tour. I check often for updates on this family. Greetings from Oklahoma to you and your family.” Another user said: “Thank you for forgiving the Whittakers, I missed them so much. You really are a good person.”
We remember Mark Light earlier he told about the worst thingwhat I saw in this family.
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