Samantha Karev has known nothing more than disappointment, abandonment, and hurt over the course of her life. Her older brother Alex was a big inspiration to her and she owed him a lot. At a young age, Alex had to care for her and her siblings when their mom became mentally unstable and their dad abandoning them in a time of need. After a while of the Karev siblings being on their own, they were split up and sent into different foster homes. Eventually, at the age of 18, Samantha followed in her older brother's footsteps - becoming a surgeon to help others when nobody would help the siblings. With all of the issues Samantha has faced, throw in an abusive ex-boyfriend who treated her so horribly, she had been sent to the hospital on many occasions. Now she's in Seattle, Washington, where her brother Alex now resides. She didn't know that Seattle would be her new home, let alone find love in Seattle.