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UN: britto08
Type of Family: blended family
LN: O'Neal/Rivera
DH: Joshua Caleb O'Neal "Josh" (25)
DW: Maria Isabel (Rivera) O'Neal (25)
DD/DS: Irena Anita / Anton Bernardo "Tony" Kalishek (7)
DD: Hannah Danielle O'Neal (3)

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Joshua and Maria met at neighborhood cookout in their small New York suburb. They hit it off at once: the same age, sharing many of the same interests, and both with children from previous relationships that ended tragically. Maria and her boyfriend Anton "Tony" were only eighteen when he, her brother Bernardo, and Tony's best friend were all killed in gang violence. Tony was killed before Maria had even found out she was pregnant. She gave birth to twins. The boy she namesd after his dead father and uncle, and the girl she gave a Polish name for Tony's heritage and a middle name after her best friend. She also gave them his last name, at the request of Tony's parents. They and her parents and Anita all helped watch Irena and Little Tony while Maria attended NYU and became a teacher. Maria left New York City and it's sad memories. Josh is from Ohio originally, and just before he graduated with a degree in engineering his girlfriend Callie got pregnant. Callie, who had always struggled with depression, developed post-partum psychosis after Hannah's birth and tragically killed herself by an overdose. Josh left Ohio after that, getting a job in New York City at an engineering firm and settling in the suburbs. A year after he and Maria met and began dating, they married. The children are all quite excited about the new family: Irena and Tony love having someone to call daddy, and Hannah can't stop following her new mama around. Josh and Maria are excitedly planning on a big family of children, both adopted and biological.