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By Josh Katzenstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
Keith Kirkwood became a father when he was 18.
Biologically, Kirkwood is not related to Aria Nelson, but he still thinks of her as his daughter.
“That’s my angel,” he said.
Aria, 6, is the daughter of Kirkwood’s longtime girlfriend, Shayna Meggs. Aria’s father, Naisere Nelson, died before she was born, tragically drowning off the New Jersey shore in June 2011.
Kirkwood remembers the moment he met Aria in 2013. The 1-year-old baby girl was sleeping in the backseat of her mom’s car outside Fins TropiCali Cuisine in Bradley Beach, N.J.
“It was just an amazing moment I had, and I just saw this family picture between all three of us,” said Kirkwood, who was a high school senior at that time. “It was just beautiful, man.” ...
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