NEW YORK (WJW) — Angelina Sciales, 102, came into the world during a wave of Italian immigration to New York.
It was the second wave of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
“Her mother died giving birth on the ship,” said Sciales’ daughter, Joann Merola. “She was taken care of by her two sisters who were also on board.”
Years later, her sisters celebrated Angelina’s marriage to Harold Friedman with their father and stepmother.
“Everybody in the family lived until at least 95, except one uncle,” said Merola.
But only Angelina survived miscarriages, cancer, sepsis and two pandemics.
“My mother is a survivor,” said Merola. “She is not human. She has super human DNA.”
Sciales lives in a nursing home in Mohegan Lake in northern Westchester. She was taken to the hospital March 21 for a minor procedure, and she was diagnosed with COVID-19. She went back to her nursing home a week later.
She was running a fever off and on after the diagnosis, but she didn’t have respiratory issues, according to Merola. She kept testing positive on two follow-up tests until last week.
“They tell me she’s doing great,” said Merola. “She’s up and about as much as possible. She’s looking for wool to crochet with.”
Continuing coverage on the coronavirus pandemic, here, including the latest news from Ohio.
