We "Adopted" Our Best Friend

How two twentysomethings decided to take on a lifelong commitment to their friend with autism

- ALAINA LEARY

What does it mean to be so close with someone that they're like family, and what would you do to make sure that person was safe and happy? That's what Amanda and Alex Constantine contemplated in October 2020, when their good friend Tony Edmonds, 29, lost his mom to multiple health complications. Tony is autistic and requires assistance with daily life he doesn't drive or cook. He also needs an advocate to represent him when he's faced with bigger decisions like how to spend his money, where to live and work, and what activities would be healthy for him.

Alex and Amanda, who had known Tony for years, grappled with how they could play a role in his future. They knew his dad had died when Tony was in high school, and he had no siblings. "Tony's mom was sick for a while," says Alex. "We knew there wasn't a really clear plan. We cared very deeply for Tony and wanted him to be in a good situation for the rest of his life."

Three's a Crowd?

Alex and Tony have been practically inseparable since their high school days in Bucyrus, OH, where they and Amanda grew up. Tony first captured Alex's attention when Alex became an aide in Tony's gym class. Then he'd see Tony around their town of about 11,000 people. "The first time I saw him outside of school, Tony just sprinted away from me. He played hard to get," Alex jokes. Alex loved Tony's sense of humor and the fact that once Tony got to know him, he always made Alex feel special: "If you're friends with Tony, you feel like you're the most important person in the world."