Amanda Scarpinati, now 38, finally unites with the nurse that cared for her like her own baby when she was 3 months old. All she had was a picture of herself that was photographed at the Albany Medical Center in the arms of a young nurse. The nurse appeared to be so connected to her, who held her tight, tucking the three-month-old infant’s burned and bandaged head beneath her chin, almost like a mother would to their own baby. However, for Scarpinati the nurse in the nearly 40-year-old photo remained a mystery.
The photo of Scarpinati being swaddled by an unknown nurse at Albany Medical Center was published in the hospital’s annual report in 1977. Decades had passed since Scarpinati was photographed in the hospital after a terrible accident involving a hot-steam humidifier. The woman in the nearly 40-year-old photo remained a mystery.
The horrific accident that brought Scarpinati to the hospital happened at home. At three months old, she was sick and lying on the couch, salved with a mentholated ointment. While left unattended, the Scarpinati rolled off a couch and landed onto a steam vaporizer that was blowing. The hot air scalded her skin and melted the mentholated ointment that was all over her body.
Over the years she went through multiple surgeries and was cared for by many doctor and nurses. However, one special nurse would forever have her heart.
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“Growing up as a child, disfigured by the burns, I was bullied and picked on, tormented,” Scarpinati, now 38, told the AP. “I’d look at those pictures and talk to her, even though I didn’t know who she was. I took comfort looking at this woman who seemed so sincere caring for me.”
Nearly 20 years later, Scarpinati made her first attempt to find the unknown woman, but had no luck. Decades went by. Scarpinati was relentless and decided to try again– this time using Facebook. She posted a short message earlier this month with a simple plea:
“I would love to know her name and possibly get a chance to talk to her and meet her,” Scarpinati wrote. “Please share as you never know who it could reach.”
More than 1,ooo people shared the message on Facebook and finally someone responded with a lead.
Angela Leary, another nurse at the Albany hospital, recognized the woman holding the baby. Leary hadn’t spoken to Susan Berger in 35 years, but she immediately identified her from the photos.
“She was as sweet and caring as she looks in this picture,” Leary wrote in her message to Scarpinati. “She loved her job and caring for children and adults alike.”
Leary then passed on Berger’s info to a local news station, and they quickly tracked her down. Days later, Scarpinati spoke to Berger on the phone.
“In a million years I would have never guessed this would grow to be as big as it is or that I would in fact be able to put a name to the face that I looked at for all these years,” Scarpinati wrote on Facebook. “She’s just as sweet and caring as I could have imagined her to be.”
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The phone conversation culminated into a reunion at Albany Medical Center on last Tuesday. Amanda Scarpinati’s 37th birthday was this past Sunday, and she says she couldn’t have asked for a better gift than meeting the Susan Berger, who cared for her when she got 3rd degree burns as a baby.
She remembered thinking, “What A wonderful birthday gift this would be if I could actually at least get to talk her, and it’s even better that I got to meet her and hug her and she’s real.”
We agree with you Scarpinati, there couldn’t have been a better birthday gift than this one. This is truly a heart-warming story!
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Source: WAshingtonPost
