Sage Pasch has a baby face — and a 15-year-old son.
"I definitely do a lot of explaining," Pasch, a dance teacher who is in her twenties, tells TODAY.com.
Recently, Pasch shared on TikTok a video of herself and Nick in an emergency room after he injured his leg at school.
“Pov we’re at the er and the doctor didn’t believe I was the parent,” Pasch captioned her now-viral clip.
Pasch didn’t give birth to Nick. Nick is the younger brother to Pasch’s fiance, Luke Faircloth. The couple legally adopted the teen in 2022 after Nick and Luke’s mom and dad died.
“Tragically, Luke and Nick’s parents both passed away two years apart,” Pasch says. “Nick was already spending so much time with us, so it made sense that we would continue raising him.”
Pasch and Faircloth also have a 17-month-old son named Laith.
“I’ve got a teenager and a toddler!” Pasch says, with a laugh.
Nick, a high school freshman, introduces Pasch as his mom when she meets his friends and is very protective of her, she says. Pasch recalls how Nick’s face fell when the ER physician doubted their relationship.
“The doctor asked where his real mom was and I could tell he was frustrated,” Pasch says. “But at the same time, we understand that there are going to be questions. There are safety concerns. And I do look really young — people see me with my toddler and think I’m a teen mom.”
Pasch says she started posting footage about their life to show others that families come in all shapes and sizes.
“I’ve gotten so many messages from kids that are in the same kind of situation where they are being raised by siblings and they’re like, ‘Thank you for representing us,’” Pasch says.
Pasch’s TikTok video about their trip to the ER has been seen nearly 33 million times.
“Omg I feel this. I took my son to the er and they asked for the guardian. Yes hi that’s me,” one person wrote in the comments.
Added another, “Meeee with my teenager at parent teacher conferences. They think I’m her older sister and say we need to talk with your parents.”