Amanda Scarpinati (L) and Susan Berger (R) (Photo : Facebook)
A New York woman who became a burn victim after rolling off a couch onto a steam vaporizer containing hot ointment in 1977, was reunited with her loving nurse 38 years later. She experienced years of childhood teasing and bullying, and many painful reconstructive surgeries, yet was always comforted when she looked at the black-and-white photos of the motherly caregiver.
The photo that Amanda Scarpinati continued to take comfort in was snapped in the Albany Medical Center's pediatric recovery room, for its 1977 annual report. It shows a gauze-wrapped infant resting in the loving arms of a registered nurse (RN). Scarpinati would sometimes talk to the unknown woman in the photo.
She now lives in Athens, a city south of Albany. Throughout her whole life she wanted to find the nurse who provided motherly care.
She tried to locate the woman in the photo two decades ago, but was unsuccessful. One problem was that photographer Carl Howard had not identified his photos' subjects.
Scarpinati attempted to find the unknown nurse again this month by posting the black-and-white photos on Facebook. Within 12 hours the viral photo had 5,000 shares, according to The Denver Post.
Scarpinati then got some good news. Another nurse at the New York medical center recognized Susan Berger, who was 21 years old in the photo.
Before they met face-to-face Berger shared that she had remembered Scarpinati. It was memorable that she was calm after surgery, while most babies are crying or sleeping.
Berger had just graduated from college, and baby Scarpinati was among her first patients. She is now the head of a New York health center and on the verge of retirement, and explained her reunion with Scarpinati as the "best part" of working as a nurse, according to CNN.
When the two women met on Tuesday, they cried and hugged. Scarpinati thanked Berger sincerely.
A person in the room asked if the women were starting a lifelong friendship. Scarpinati answered that it already had been one.
