At 3 months old, Amanda Scarpinati rolled off the couch onto a boiling steam vaporizer. Her skin was burned and scolded. The infant would need reconstructive surgeries for years as she grew up. The healing process required the attention of one special nurse, Sue Berger of the Albany Medical Center. Berger held the bandaged Scarpinati, who was in pain, thus bringing the child a small moment of peace that fateful year in 1977. But after Scarpinati was discharged, all she had of Berger were photos that had been snapped of them. She didn’t know her name, but a grownup Scarpinati was determined to find the woman who showed her unconditional kindness. “Growing up as a child, disfigured by the burns, I was bullied and picked on, tormented,” Scarpinati told NBC. “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 and caring for me.” Scarpinati posted a note on Facebook, nearly 40 years later. Within minutes, the nurse was identified by Angela Leary, a school nurse. “I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s Sue Berger!’” Leary commented. “Connecting the dots was easy and I was happy to do it.” Berger and Scarpinati had an emotional reunion where it all started, Albany Medical Center. “I couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it,” said Scarpinati. “The emotion I felt — I wasn’t prepared for when I saw her. It was almost like hugging a mom.” Now Scarpinati is inspired to pay it forward. She also no longer feels ashamed about her injuries. “It’s to give inspiration, hope, appreciation to all those who touch people’s lives,” she wrote in a post on Facebook. “Most of all, it’s for me to feel liberated, unchained, and no longer ashamed.” Source
