I grew up as a orphan, a orphan is someone whose parents are dead, or unknown,
Oh I'm sorry to hear that, did you go through the foster system? I hear it can be awful for a lot of kids.
No I had a aunt, But a child is only called orphan when both parents are gone.
Ah, I actually didn't know that, I just figured if they were on their own for any reason other than that they chose it, they were considered one.
Well when animals are orphaned it only matters if the moms condition is gone.
I guess that happens more frequently in animals than in humans, huh?
Yeah, but various groups use different definitions
Are orphanages still a thing in modern times? I read about them a lot in American and British literature but I don't hear much about them today...
Yes they are still around.  common use today is, an orphan does not have any surviving parent.
Well, at least sometimes people get lucky, like you did, in having an extended family member there to help raise them.