This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Carol Leonard, 65, who is raising her grandsons : Blaze, 17, and Jason, 15, in Baton Rouge. Leonard said raising them has been a financial hit, but she's been able to keep the family afloat. Her words have been edited for length and clarity. There are so many grandparents raising grandchildren , and the system is failing us. I don't need support for myself — I survived fine on my own — but when you have two teenage boys, they need assistance.