A Glimpse at Tony’s Journey
Discovering where you belong is not always a straightforward path. Here at St. Louis Center we understand and accommodate the joys and sorrows of those who come to us. We’d like to highlight our resident Tony Cossentino and his family, acknowledging their struggles to get where they are now and commending them for their hard work. We are so happy to have Tony as part of our community at St. Louis Center. His joyful impact has been a daily blessing to us. Tony and his family, however, have gone through a lot to get to this point and we hope to continue to empower them to live their best lives!
Growing Up
Tony grew up with his four siblings in Batesville, Indiana. Unfortunately, as he got older, he began suffering from lung hemorrhaging between the ages of two and five. It would get so bad that he had to be hospitalized. This dire condition was made more difficult because of the Down syndrome Tony was born with. He was in and out of the ICU several times and the condition was deemed life-threatening. He was eventually intubated after a particularly bad episode where he nearly died.
After waking up, Tony faced harsh side effects from the medicines he had been given. With his supportive family helping him every step of the way Tony slowly recovered from the stressful endeavor. After extensive research, a Cleveland clinic did a study and found that the hemorrhaging was the result of a mold inside their house. This stressful time was difficult for the Cossentino family but together they packed their belongings and moved to a new home. After moving, the Cossentino’s were grateful that the mold-induced issues cleared up for Tony.
Connecting with St. Louis Center
As Tony got older, his mother, Mary Cossentino, was struggling to care for his special behavioral needs. She looked for potential organizations but was unable to find a place suitable for him in their immediate area. As time went on, Mary continued to do her best in caring for Tony, she got her CNA license and began to work full-time as a caretaker in a Dementia Care Unit to help support her family financially. It was during this time that she found St. Louis Center, a direct answer to her prayers. Happily, Tony was then able to join our community in October of 2010.
“Getting into St Louis Center was so easy, I just called and scheduled an interview…at one point during the process Tony got antsy and Father Satheesh took him to the gym to play basketball.”
Mary continued to work through the Covid pandemic until she contracted Covid pneumonia and was forced to stop. Soon after, she moved to Michigan to be closer to Tony but her own medical issues worsened with the move. During her time of recovery, she found herself unable to afford a place to live in the area. After much prayer and consideration, she called Father Enzo and he suggested she move into the little white house here on the St. Louis Center campus.
New Beginnings
Mary is grateful that “little-by-little things are getting better. Easier”
Since moving here to be closer to her son, Mary has been a huge help in allowing us to ensure Tony gets the best care possible. She has taken Tony to all of his doctor appointments and offers an in-depth medical history for him. With this support, we have been able to give Tony a fine medical “tune-up” by taking steps to improve his sight, hearing, heart, and lungs.
Cossentinos Today
Mary recently joined the Chelsea Senior Center, where she is thriving. She spends her time as a member of their quilting club, but also inspiring others. Mary has spoken to high school students in the past about career paths and about her own journey while caring for Tony. She hopes to inspire the younger generation to care for those like her son: people who might have challenges, but when they’re empowered, can have an amazing impact on the world around them! Tony’s siblings have also continued to support him and are always happy to visit. The Cossentinos are a great example of how a supportive and loving family can build one another up!
Today, Tony lives in the Neuman house and attends the CHS work program on weekdays in Chelsea. He is actively involved with the Special Olympics program and the bowling league here at St. Louis Center. In fact, he loves participating in any and all sporting events that are offered.
We are so fortunate to be partnering with the Cossentino family as we seek to provide them and Tony the tools to live their lives to the fullest. Throughout his time here, Tony has shown us that, when empowered, we are all capable of living up to our potential and achieving incredible feats!
Read more St. Louis Center Stories that Inspire!
