Help the Pinto Sweeney Family in Their Time of Grief

Support the Pinto/Sweeney Family After A Tragic Loss

Josephine (Josie) Grace Pinto, age six, passed away on Friday, January 17, 2025. Josie is survived by her twin sister Rose (Rosie), her mother Patricia (Tricia) Sweeney, and her father John Pinto. Although nothing will heal the unimaginable pain of losing a child, donations can help ease the financial strain and allow the time needed to grieve.

On August 17, 2018, Tricia and John were blessed with the birth of twin girls, Josie and Rosie. Tricia, a special educator for 21 years, dedicates her life to educating children with severe special needs, while John sacrifices his career to stay home and raise the girls. As Josie and Rosie developed, John and Tricia began noticing signs that were all too familiar. With knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and experience in special education, Tricia and John intervened early and advocated for their daughters, leading to both Josie and Rosie receiving ASD diagnoses in June of 2021, two months before their 3rd birthday.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2024), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is described as “a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave” (para. 1).

While John served as the primary caregiver for their daughters during the week, Tricia spent her days educating students with severe disabilities. John and Tricia facilitated functional play time for Josie and Rosie while teaching them daily living skills and loving them unconditionally. Josie and Rosie attended a substantially separate special education program at the L.G. Nourse Elementary School in Norton. John and Tricia ensured Josie and Rosie had access to every support available, visiting Spaulding Rehab for Children to receive speech and language services, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for 2.5 hours 4 days a week, and school-based weekly speech and language and occupational therapy services. The girls also participated in the Special Olympics at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro. John and Tricia felt strongly that, although they required support, Josie and Rosie were allowed to be kids first. Fortunately, Tricia and John, unlike many families, knew how to navigate the educational and medical complexities of having children with ASD.

As Josie and Rosie got older, Tricia and John found that managing the behavioral symptoms associated with ASD became more challenging. Typical in children with ASD, Josie and Rosie lacked the sense of safety and awareness that is present in same-aged children. This lack of awareness, paired with sensation-seeking, is common in children with ASD often leading to elopement or wandering. With a large pond in their backyard, John and Tricia diligently safeguarded their entire home to keep the girls safe. However, on January 17, 2025, in the blink of an eye, Josie bolted out the back door of their home likely, drawn to the partially frozen pond. Within minutes, Josie was gone.

John and Tricia intend to donate a portion of the donations in Josie’s name to bring safety and awareness to autism and prevent other families from experiencing a similar loss. The remaining funds will go towards easing the financial strain on the grieving family and caring for their remaining daughter Rosie.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). Autism spectrum disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd.