WESTCHESTER COUNTY, New York – A 102-year-old New York woman survived the Spanish flu pandemic when she was a newborn, and she’s just recovered from COVID-19.
Angelina Sciales came into the world during a wave of Italian immigration to New York.
It was the second wave of the flu pandemic.
“Her mother died giving birth on the ship, and she was taken care of by her two sisters, who were also on board,” said Joann Merola, Angelina’s daughter.
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! She is not human! She has super human DNA!” said Merola.
Merola has been laid up with back trouble since February in Mohegan Lake in northern Westchester.
Her mother lives close by in a nursing home, where employees are wearing their PPE to protect themselves from the virus.
Angelina was taken to the hospital March 21 for a minor procedure and received a COVID-19 diagnosis.
She was sent back to the home a week later.
Angelina’s daughter told WPIX that he mother was running a fever on and off after the diagnosis but she had no respiratory issues.
Angelina kept testing positive on two follow-up tests until last Tuesday.
Merola said she received a late-night phone call that her mother had finally tested negative for the virus and was starting to eat again.
Her family says he’s doing great now and is up and about as much as possible. She’s also looking to start crocheting again.
“This woman! She’s 102-years-old. God bless her. Somebody’s on her side that’s for sure,” said June Hardy a nursing hoem neighbor.
Angelina is now practically deaf, so her daughter isn’t able to call her, but she’s proud her mom is joining the ranks of elderly survivors like WWII veteran Ernest Smith, who at 100-years-old was finally taken off a ventilator April 21 in New Jersey.
91-year-old Altagracia Perez was also released from the hospital last week.
All of their recoveries are something to celebrate.
Just last year, Angelina was named prom queen during a fun springtime event at her nursing home.
Her daughter hopes Angelina can somehow watch this story.
“If my mother could see this, I’d tell her, You keep going, Ma! You’re gonna outlive us all!”