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)
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.