Have you ever wondered what happens when families stay completely cut off from the rest of society for generations? In a tiny town called Odd, West Virginia, the Whittaker family lives a life most of us couldn’t imagine. Their story isn’t just unusual – it’s opened up conversations about rural poverty, isolation, and what happens when families don’t connect with the outside world. I first heard about them through a viral video, and their situation stuck with me long after I watched it.
Who are the Whittakers and where do they live
The Whittaker family lives in a small, rundown home in the tiny town of Odd, West Virginia. This isn’t a place you’d find on most maps or travel guides. The family includes siblings Betty, Lorraine, Ray, and their cousin Timmy, who have spent most of their lives in extreme isolation. Their home sits far from main roads, and they’ve had minimal contact with the outside world until recently. Most families move around or branch out over generations, but the Whittakers have stayed in the same area for as long as anyone can remember.
What makes their situation stand out is how protected they are by their neighbors. The locals in Odd are extremely protective of the Whittakers and don’t welcome strangers who come looking for them. This protective bubble has kept the family sheltered from both help and harm for decades. When photographer Mark Laita first tried to visit them, he was met with neighbors carrying shotguns who wanted to make sure he wasn’t there to make fun of or exploit the family. This tight-knit community protection shows both the good and bad sides of rural isolation.
The unusual family history that started it all
The Whittaker family’s story begins with identical twin brothers, Henry and John Whittaker. According to reports, these brothers had children who later married each other, starting a pattern that continued through generations. This created a situation where some family members were born to parents who were double first cousins – meaning they shared both sets of grandparents. This unusual family structure rarely happens in modern society because most communities naturally expand outward, bringing in new people and new genetic material. The Whittakers, however, remained isolated in their small community.
What’s particularly sad is that the family didn’t fully understand what caused their issues until recently. When asked about their parents and their family history, many current Whittaker family members struggle to remember details or explain relationships. The isolation wasn’t just physical – it was also a lack of information and education about their own situation. Without outside intervention or education, the family continued patterns that had been established generations ago, unaware of the potential consequences of close-family marriages that most societies have taboos against.
How the photographer found and documented them
Mark Laita, a professional photographer who runs the YouTube channel “Soft White Underbelly,” first encountered the Whittaker family while working on a project about rural Appalachia. Getting to know them wasn’t easy. When Laita first approached their home, he was confronted by neighbors with guns who were worried he might be there to make fun of the family. These protective neighbors have good reason to be cautious – many outsiders have tried to treat the Whittakers like a sideshow attraction rather than real people with feelings and dignity. It took time and patience for Laita to gain the trust of both the neighbors and the family.
Once Laita earned their trust, he began documenting their lives through photos and videos that have since been viewed millions of times online. His work shows the family’s daily routines, their living conditions, and their interactions with each other. Some critics have questioned whether Laita’s work exploits the family’s situation, but he has consistently stated that his goal is to shed light on rural poverty and the lack of support for isolated communities. The documentation has been eye-opening for many viewers who had no idea such extreme isolation still existed in modern America, where most of us are constantly connected through technology and social media.
The challenges the family faces every day
The Whittaker family faces challenges that most of us can’t imagine. Many family members have physical and mental differences that make daily tasks difficult. Some family members communicate primarily through grunts and barks rather than spoken words. Their home lacks many basic amenities that most Americans take for granted. They’ve lived without proper heating, plumbing, or kitchen facilities for years. Regular activities like cooking meals, staying warm in winter, or even basic hygiene become major hurdles without these essentials. Their isolation has also meant limited access to healthcare, education, and social services.
Despite these enormous challenges, the family has developed their own way of living and communicating with each other. They’ve created a tight-knit unit where they care for one another in the best ways they know how. When outsiders visit, some family members hide or run away, while others are more open to interaction. Their reactions show both natural human caution and the effects of years of isolation. The Whittakers have adapted to their circumstances with remarkable resilience, creating their own community when the wider world wasn’t accessible to them. This adaptation shows the human capacity to find ways to survive even in extremely difficult circumstances.
How neighbors protect the family from outsiders
The people of Odd, West Virginia, have formed a protective circle around the Whittaker family. When strangers come looking for the family, locals often intervene, sometimes even threatening visitors with shotguns to keep them away. This might seem extreme, but it comes from a place of genuine concern. Over the years, many people have tried to visit the Whittakers just to gawk or make fun of them – treating them like a tourist attraction rather than real people with feelings. The neighbors understand that the family is vulnerable and might not be able to protect themselves from those with bad intentions.
This protective attitude reflects something beautiful about small rural communities, where people look out for each other even when they’re not related. The neighbors don’t see the Whittakers as strange or different – they see them as members of their community who need extra protection. This community shield has both positive and negative effects. It’s kept the family safe from potential exploitation, but it has also sometimes prevented help from reaching them. Finding the balance between protection and isolation is tricky, and the community continues to navigate this line as more attention comes to the family through videos and news stories about their situation.
What their living conditions are really like
The Whittaker family’s home is a simple shack that has fallen into disrepair over many years. Photos and videos show cramped rooms filled with broken furniture, dirt floors in some areas, and walls that don’t keep out the cold properly. They’ve lived without many of the basics that most Americans consider essential – reliable heating, proper plumbing, and adequate food storage. During winter months, staying warm becomes a daily struggle. Their kitchen facilities are minimal, making food preparation difficult. The bathroom situation is equally challenging, with questionable sanitation that most of us would find impossible to live with.
What’s most striking about their living situation isn’t just the poverty – it’s how long they’ve lived this way without intervention. In a country with as much wealth as America, the Whittakers’ living conditions reveal how isolated communities can fall through the cracks of social services and support systems. The family has adapted to these conditions because they’ve never known anything different. Their clothing is often worn and inadequate, and their diet appears limited and lacking in nutrition. These conditions aren’t just uncomfortable – they’ve likely contributed to ongoing health issues that the family experiences, creating a cycle that’s difficult to break without significant outside help.
How people have tried to help the family
Since the Whittaker family gained attention through Mark Laita’s videos, many viewers have wanted to help improve their situation. Laita set up a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $75,000 to help with their living expenses and home improvements. The campaign has already raised nearly $50,000, showing how many people were moved by their story. This money has been used to make real improvements to their living situation. They’ve gotten a new roof, kitchen renovations, and a coal heater to keep warm during cold West Virginia winters. These improvements have made an immediate difference in their daily lives.
Another campaign was started to help the family purchase a new home, with a goal of $250,000. The existing support shows how sharing their story has connected them to resources they never had access to before. Beyond financial help, some local social workers and healthcare providers have begun reaching out, offering services that weren’t previously available to the family. These efforts highlight how awareness can lead to practical assistance. While money can’t solve all problems, the practical improvements to their home have made daily life more comfortable and safer. This outside help has started to bridge the gap between their isolated world and the support systems most Americans rely on.
The Whittaker family’s story shows us how completely different life can be just a few hours’ drive from our own homes. While their situation is extreme, it highlights issues that affect many rural communities – poverty, isolation, and lack of access to education and healthcare. Their story has prompted important conversations about how we support vulnerable people and communities. The outpouring of help for the family shows that when people learn about others in need, many want to step up and make a difference. Perhaps the most important lesson is that no community should be forgotten or left behind, no matter how remote or different their lives might seem from our own.
