An incredible tale of heroism and hope! Discover how one woman’s quick thinking saved a child with severe burns. After 38 years this child tried to find the nurse who saved her. Did she manage to find?
For decades, Amanda Scarpinati carefully kept an old black-and-white photograph of a nurse holding then-little Amanda in her arms.
This picture was shot in 1977 at a New York hospital following Amanda’s serious injuries. Three months old at the time, the girl suffered third-degree burns after falling from the sofa onto a steam evaporator. In the picture, the nurse is seen doing everything within her power to stabilize the infant’s condition while the tiny girl’s head is covered in gauze.
Amanda had to have more operations throughout the ensuing years, and she also had to deal with bullying from peers regarding her appearance. Amanda had a black and white picture of a nurse that she would pull out whenever she was feeling down. She was relieved to remember that there had once been someone who took excellent care of her.
Amanda has always dreamed of finding her guardian angel. After 20 years of searching, the woman finally decided to use social media as a last resort.
What happened next will not leave you indifferent, so I simply have to share this incredible story with you!
In 1977, 3-month-old Amanda Scarpinati was transported to Albany City Hospital in New York City with third-degree burns after slipping from a couch onto a home steam evaporator.
At the hospital, a young nurse began to care for her. Black and white photos from that year show her cradling Amanda in her arms and gazing warmly at her.
Amanda survived from the tragedy, but she was constantly bullied throughout her youth because of the scars left by her burns.
“I grew up disfigured by burns, so I was constantly bullied and tortured,” Amanda told the Associated Press. “Then I looked at these photos and spoke to her, even though I had no idea who she was. Looking at this woman who seemed to genuinely care about me made me feel better.
Amanda hoped that one day she would be able to locate the nurse who had cared for her during that terrible period. After 20 years of failed searches, Amanda turned to social media. She posted the black-and-white photographs on her Facebook page, writing, “I’d want to know her name and maybe talk and meet her. Please share these images; you never know who they will reach.”
Her post became viral on the Internet, and the next day she received the long-awaited message. Angela Leary, a nurse at the hospital that year, recognized her colleague Susan Berger in the photograph. Susan was 21 years old and had recently graduated from college. She, like Amanda, saved these photos and never forgot the girl with the burns.
I remember her. “She was very calm,” Susan says. “Typically, when children are brought back from the operation room, they are asleep or wailing. And this girl was so relaxed and trustworthy. “It was amazing.”
Shortly after publication, 38 years later, the nurse and her patient reconnected, and this time was quite emotional.
“I don’t know if there are any nurses out there who have had something like this and have been as fortunate as I was to not be forgotten about throughout your life,” Susan replies.
“It is a privilege to represent all of the nurses who have cared for Amanda over the years.”
I was really moved to read this great narrative, especially given Amanda’s life experiences.
