Dena Smagala’s New York Metropolis firefighter husband, Stanley Smagala Jr., died as a primary responder to the World Commerce Heart throughout 9/11 — and for practically 20 years, she was satisfied she’d by no means discover love once more.
Then, in the future in 2019, an excellent pal known as and supplied to introduce Dena, 54, to somebody. “‘No thanks, I am good,’ ” she remembers saying. “I wasn’t into it, even when she advised me that the final couple she arrange bought married.”
Now she’s a believer. And on Wednesday, as Dena marks the twenty third anniversary of the phobia assaults that modified her household’s life — and the nation — she’ll have a brand new companion by her aspect on the seaside memorial close to her Holbrook, Lengthy Island, residence.
“He is supportive, he is understanding, he lets me be me,” she says of Joe Coreno, 60, whom she married in July 2022. He’s additionally somebody who’s keen to let Dena cry as she remembers the worst day of her life.
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“I’ve by no means been the identical particular person since 9/11, there’s all the time been a bit of my coronary heart lacking,” she says, “however Joe will do something he can to assist me really feel like an entire particular person once more.”
Dena’s 22-year-old daughter, Alexa, born 4 months after Sep. 11, feels the identical approach.
One of many kids not but born the place their fathers died within the assaults, and whose journey has been documented by PEOPLE for greater than 20 years, Alexa grew up with the harm of not having her dad. However she says that her stepfather fills an vital function of their household.
“I haven’t got a phrase to explain how a lot I respect him,” she says. “It is rather a lot. When Joe got here into the image, I instantly felt so secure. He was really easy to speak to and really understanding of every little thing.”
Fateful Cellphone Name
4 years after Coreno’s divorce, a pal advised him about Dena in March 2019. Like Dena, he additionally wasn’t instantly — till that July, when he requested for her quantity and left her an extended voicemail.
She obtained the decision whereas on a visit to Walt Disney World in Florida and touring close by faculties along with her father and Alexa and her youthful daughter Sophia, now 13.
At that second, Dena shrugged off the overture, texting again: ‘I am busy.”
However days later, she had a change of coronary heart. On the Magic Kingdom wishing nicely, she threw a penny in and stated to herself, with a glimmer of surprising hope, “Perhaps it will work out.”
On the aircraft journey residence to New York, she texted Coreno once more and the pair ended up exchanging messages the whole flight.
“He would ask inquiries to get to know me, like, ‘Do you’ve gotten 5 favourite issues to do? What do you worth probably the most?’ “ Dena says.
Coreno, who works within the auto business, shared that household was his No. 1 factor — he has a son, 30, and daughter, 22 — which matched Dena’s personal priorities. “I actually might fall for this man,” she thought.
Quickly after, they spoke on the telephone for the primary time (for 187 minutes!) and talked about every little thing, together with her relationship along with her late husband and the way heartbroken she remained.
She additionally shared different main twists and turns in her life, like how she’d reconnected with a highschool classmate on Fb and had Sophia with him in February 2011 earlier than, she says, he grew to become verbally abusive and their relationship ended.
At one other level of their speak, Dena revealed her prognosis and yearlong remedy for stage III colon most cancers quickly after that breakup.
In all her candor, she was “hoping he would not have an interest,” she tells PEOPLE. However Coreno remained very and requested if he might meet her.
Nonetheless, she wasn’t so certain.
“I used to be content material being on my own, I assumed the remainder of my life could be me and the women and I used to be positive with that,” Dena says. She advised Coreno she wasn’t prepared.
However a month after their first texts, she gave in to her mates’ encouragement to no less than get along with them: “They have been like, ‘What is the worst that may occur? It’s a free dinner.”
courtesy Dena Smagala
‘So Crammed with Pleasure’
She first arrived at Coreno’s home in ripped denims, a darkish blue sweatshirt and no make-up. She had a pal on the telephone “in case he was loopy,” she says now, laughing.
“He got here out and I used to be like, ‘Oh my God he’s actually cute, in case you don’t hear again from me inside an hour, name the police, that is the place I’m.’ ”
As they sat on his couch collectively, speaking and listening to music, Dena and Coreno felt like they all the time knew one another and talked simply for hours, she says.
Weeks later, on Sept. 11, 2019, after a visit to the seaside 9/11 memorial, she and Coreno stopped by her residence. Alexa greeted the pair and remembers that she “nearly wished to cry in a contented approach once I noticed them collectively.”
“My mother was simply so stuffed with pleasure, and he or she shouldn’t be one to specific her feelings,” she says.
“As a result of my mother had the largest smile ear to ear,” she continues, “I believe we have been just about on the identical web page that he was going to be the one for her.”
Nearly three years to the day after exchanging their first messages, the couple married on the seaside in Key Largo, Fla., on July 9, 2022, in a small wedding ceremony with simply shut household and mates.
Beneath a shiny blue summer time sky, Dena shared how her belief in love was restored and the way Coreno “bought me to open up and have emotions once more.”
“My coronary heart is and all the time shall be damaged, however Joe made it able to loving once more,” she tells PEOPLE.
Her household additionally loves Coreno, although Stan’s reminiscence is rarely removed from their hearts: They are saying they spend hours collectively sharing tales of the firefighter with Engine 226 in Brooklyn who died when the dual towers collapsed.
Dena, who had lengthy believed she wasn’t a type of widows with a guardian angel taking care of her, has additionally had a change of coronary heart. She now believes Stan and her late father — who, just like Coreno, had an easygoing nature — put love again in her life.
“It is comforting to really feel they’re searching for me,” Dena says. “I’m so blessed.”
