17-Year-Old Who Has Cooked Dinner for His Family Since His Mother Fell Ill Posts First Video Since Her Death

An X post from @TheLucyShow1 shared a video from TikTok creator @chefjoeycharney, a 17-year-old who cooks dinner nightly for his family of five.

According to the post, Joey's mother had been ill for a long time before he took over cooking duties, while his father worked 12 to 13 hour days. Joey hopes to attend culinary school one day. His mother died on August 7, and he uploaded his first video since then.

In the video, Joey begins with a sad intro, "My name is Joey. I'm 17 years old, and I cook dinner for my family because my mom is no longer with us." He said he was preparing chicken marinara pasta with garlic breadsticks and walked viewers through the recipe.

Joey narrated each step as he cooked, starting with salting a pot of boiling water before adding a pound of rigatoni to cook for about 13 minutes. He cut chicken breast in half, then coated the pieces in a mixture of whisked eggs and seasoned bread crumbs, which were sent to him by a company called Fire and Smoke Society.

He noted that the video was not sponsored, adding that he combined the brand's crispy Italian and crispy chicken seasoning blends together for the coating. He cooked the breaded chicken in olive oil until it reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, then switched to avocado oil to avoid burning the pan while preparing garlic breadsticks in an air fryer set to 325 degrees for six minutes.

Joey then used the same pan to soften chopped onion before adding a 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce, loosened with a reserved cup of pasta water, along with a pinch of celery seed and garlic powder in place of fresh garlic cloves. He mixed in a half pound of fresh shredded mozzarella and a half cup of grated Parmesan before combining the sauce with the cooked pasta and chicken, which he cut into bite-sized pieces by hand.

Several replies tagged professional chefs directly, asking them to take notice of Joey's story. One commenter wrote, "@GordonRamsay @RobertIrvine @bflay This young man took over chef duties at 13 while his mom was very ill. She has just passed away and hopes to one day attend cooking school!! He deserves a chance after sacrificing so much."

Chef Joe Sasto responded directly in the comments on his TikTok, offering to send Joey equipment. He wrote, "I'd love to send you an apron and some gear my friend."

A commenter mentioned a culinary scholarship program, writing, "Lots of people want to help Joey! Please see @mikeroweworks website. They have culinary scholarships."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the details of Joey's home life, his mother's illness, or her death beyond what was shared in the video and the accompanying post from @TheLucyShow1. The details above reflect Joey's account as shared on TikTok and reposted on X. This story involves the recent death of a parent; if you or someone you know is grieving, the Dougy Center and other grief support organizations offer resources for young people coping with loss.