HAMPTON — A few days after their tragic plight was published on Seacoastonline, three orphaned teenage siblings were astonished at the outpouring of public support from the Seacoast community.
“The positive input and number of people who reached out to us has been absolutely amazing,” said 18-year-old Isabella Amos, oldest of the three Amos children. “We couldn’t be more grateful.”
Isabella, or Bella as she’s known to her siblings and friends, is now the guardian of her 17-year-old brother Austin, and sister Aria, 16. Following the deaths of both their parents, the three, originally from Queensland, Australia, found themselves in the United States in late 2021 without parents, a secure place to live, a steady source of income nor visas that allow them to get jobs.
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Their mother, Rachel, lost her life in 2020 following a surgical procedure, and within a year they lost their dad, Anthony, to cancer. Through it all, the three cling together, pledging to stay here in the area so both Austin and Aria can graduate with their class at Winnacunnet High School.
“These three are an incredible unit,” said Kris Dehnert, a Florida friend of their late father, Anthony Amos. “They’re amazing kids. They’re more mature than a lot of adults.”
It was Dehnert and a group of Anthony Amos’ other friends from Florida who stepped up with legal and financial help, establishing the initial GoFundMe page for the three teens. The goal was to raise $84,000 to support them until Austin and Aria graduate and they can get U.S. work visas.
Some money, about $25,000, had been raised through GoFundMe before members of the Seacoast community learned fully of the Amos children’s situation. Once their story was known in the first week of March, however, the response was overwhelming, according to Bella. As of March 15, more than $79,000 was pledged through GoFundMe page.
“We’re almost at our goal,” she said. “The support has been unreal.”
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More than money is needed if Aria and Austin are to be able to graduate from WHS in 2023. The family’s short-term, or winter rental in the Hampton Beach area is up in May. Needed is a hard-to-find, long-term rental somewhere in SAU 21 communities of North Hampton, Hampton, Hampton Falls and Seabrook.
“We’ve had a few real estate agents reach out to us,” Bella said. “Some people have offered to help us pay our rent. We don’t have anything firm yet. But it’s made us feel welcome.”
While her sister and brother are in school, Bella works with lawyers on both the malpractice suit related to her mother’s death and the intricate immigration paperwork that will allow the teens to get work visas so they can earn their futures in the United States.
Although born in Australia, the three spent most of their lives in the United States with their parents, who were working to establish a pet grooming business here, similar to the one Anthony Amos sold in Australia.
They were and are still a family dedicated to the care of animals. While here, after learning of the U.S. rate of animal euthanasia, the Amos family traveled throughout the nation promoting animal rescue, as they did in Somersworth in 2017, when they raised money for the Pope Memorial Humane Society – Cocheco Valley .
“We’re hoping to move forward with our family’s grooming business here,” Bella said. “And we want to continue our parents’ legacy of animal rescue.”
The three already are doing quite a bit in the realm of animal rescue. Not only do they have dogs, but Austin has a bigger four-legged friend: a 600-pound pig named Baby.
“I rescued her from slaughter about two years ago when she was small,” Austin said. “This pig has saved me from some dark times. After what happened to mom and dad, she kept me going.”
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Baby, currently staying with a farmer in Rye, will have to move soon, Austin said. He’s working with another generous Seacoast farm owner who may be able to find some safe barn space for Baby, with Austin visiting daily to take care of his really big baby.
As for their future, Bella said all three hope for dual citizenship in both Australia and the U.S.
She’s hoping to be able to go to college here, she said, as does Aria.
“Austin wants to work with cars,” Bella said. “I’d like to go into some kind of humanitarian work. I’d like to be of support to people who are going through difficult times, as we have.”
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