By: Anthony Acosta, PHC New Directions client and community volunteer
My name is Anthony Acosta. I’m 68 years old, born and raised in San Jose on the east side, and I’ve been connected with the New Directions program of Peninsula Healthcare Connection for about eight years now.
My life wasn’t supposed to turn out the way it did. I had a good career. I went to college and earned certifications in precision measurement, blueprint reading, machine operation, and CNC programming. I worked as a machinist for about fourteen years. Everything was going good. I had my own place, a career I enjoyed, and a future I was working toward.
Then I had a heart attack.
While I was recovering, my parents asked me to move back in with them for a while. The idea was that they would help me get back on my feet. It was only supposed to be temporary. But while I was recovering, my parents started getting sick themselves. My father was diagnosed with cancer, and my mother developed dementia. Before I knew it, I had become the caregiver.
For about ten years, taking care of my parents became my life.
I come from a big family, but when it came time to help, most people would stop by, say hello, and leave. The day-to-day responsibility fell to me. People told me I should have been living my own life, focusing on my career and building my future. My response was always the same: if I wasn’t there to take care of them, who was going to do it?
I don’t have any regrets about that decision. They were my parents. I couldn’t walk away.
The stress eventually caught up with me. During those years, I suffered multiple heart attacks. I’ve flatlined eight times. I’ve had stents, pacemakers, procedures, and more medications than I can count. The doctors told me the stress was taking a serious toll on my body.
Then, after my parents passed away, I found myself in a position I never expected to be in. After spending years caring for the people I loved most, I suddenly had nowhere to go.
I spent about a year homeless.
It wasn’t easy. You do what you can to get by. You look for somewhere safe to sleep. You take things one day at a time and try to make it through another night. There were times when it felt like everything I had worked for had disappeared.
Eventually, through my doctors and a few different organizations, I was connected to New Directions. From there, things started changing. One resource led to another, and before long I was informed that there was a path toward stable housing.
Getting housing changed my life.
For the first time in a long time, I had some peace of mind. I was grateful for the help I had received, and I wanted to find a way to give something back. I started volunteering wherever I could. I helped with food distributions, worked with hospitals and animal shelters, and spent time helping connect people with resources. If there was something I could do to help, I tried to do it.
Helping other people ended up helping me, too.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you have to learn to love yourself before you can really take care of yourself. For a long time, I didn’t. When you don’t care about yourself, nothing really matters. But when you start valuing yourself, you make different choices. You take care of your health. You keep your appointments. You take your medications. You start believing you’re worth the effort.
That was one of the biggest turning points in my life.
Today, I live at Laurel Grove Apartments, where I’m still involved with food distribution for residents. On distribution days, dozens of neighbors come through. We talk, catch up, and check in on each other. Some bring me a plate of food. Others tell me about events happening around the community. Over the years, it has become a community.
I may not know everyone’s story, but they know who I am, and I know they’re looking out for me just like I’m looking out for them.
I also met someone special along the way. My girlfriend and I have been together for five years. We actually have very similar stories. She spent years taking care of family members too, so there was an understanding between us from the beginning. We enjoy simple things. We go camping, sit by the lake, go fishing, visit the beach, or just take a drive. After spending so many years taking care of other people, it’s nice to wake up and decide what we want to do that day.
Every day feels like a blessing.
My health challenges haven’t gone away. I still have appointments, medications, tests, and procedures. But now I have support. The people involved in my care don’t make me feel like a number. When I call, they call back. When something is wrong, they pay attention. My doctors listen to me. They ask how I’m doing and genuinely care about the answer.
That’s what has made the biggest difference.
The support I receive is knowing there are people who want to see me succeed. It’s the phone call to check in. It’s someone asking how I’m doing. It’s knowing I’m not alone.
I’ve been through a lot in my life. There were times when I wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out. But somehow, I’m still here.
Today I have a home. I have people who care about me. I have a girlfriend I love spending time with. I have neighbors and friends. I have opportunities to give back to others.
Honestly, that’s more than enough for me.
Every day is a blessing.
