Military Special Needs Network
Proudly Supporting all Military Families with a Special Needs Dependent
May 6, 2012: Honoring Maria O’Neil – Military Spouse of the Day
Maria is a Marine Corps wife currently stationed in San Diego, California. The O’Neil family just returned stateside after being stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Maria says getting to experience other fascinating cultures is her favorite part of being a military spouse.
If Maria could go back and give herself advice before… coming a military wife it would be to “remember that people come from all walks of life and it is wise to practice tolerance and understanding especially when faced with living in base housing.”
After Maria’s son Connor was diagnosed with ASD last July, she promised herself she would strive to help other parents and families of loved ones with special needs to cope and forge on in their journeys. She made a promise to help anyone she can to learn how to navigate the system and help point them in the right direction. In the beginning, Maria remembered how lost and alone she felt after receiving her son’s diagnosis. She never wants anyone to feel that way again. “I never stop fighting for my son, for answers, and for what is right and owed to our families,” Maria said.
The Military Special Needs Network honors and salutes Maria O’Neil as the Military Spouse of the Day! We thank you for being such a wonderful military spouse and an amazing advocate for special needs!
