My brother vowed to always be there for me when my parents died in that horrible car accident.
I understand. It can be hard. Orphan is the correct term there, however, as it  refers to someone who lost both their parents.
I just wonder how many orphans there are in the world.
It's hard to say, especially because they're relatively rare in developed countries. Most children in these countries can expect both their parents to survive childhood.
How do you cope with the loss of your parents though?
You continue to progress through life.It doesn't have to stop with the loss of the parent. Developmental changes happen also because of genetic factors during prenatal life, genetics and prenatal development.. You can progress without aprents.