Concetta Colella - Unconditional Love

Just five years ago I wouldn’t have thought to nominate my sister Concetta. She was living in a town home with her husband in South Elgin, had a great job, and was expecting her first child. Samantha was born with Down’s syndrome. It didn’t matter. She was part of our family, already imprinted in our hearts. As a family we grew stronger from this. Unfortunately this is not where the story ends. Three months later my sister and Samantha moved in with my parents and I after it became clear that her husband wasn’t going to be a good influence in Samantha’s life. Shortly after Samantha’s second birthday Concetta was let go from a job she had held for ten years and lost her sole means of income. We turned a negative into a positive as my sister has been able to stay home with her daughter fostering her education which gave her a new bond with Samantha. Five years has changed my family. What I have learned though is that with love and support anything is possible.