Daughter Reunites Mother with NY Family Who Saved Her Sight
- Francesca Battaglia
- Jan 26
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 30
This is the story of Giuseppina Ajello, an Italian woman whose sight was saved by total strangers from the other side of the world. Her story had been buried in old newspaper clippings and fading memories for decades.
Giuseppina moved from Sicily to New York in 1967 for sight-saving surgery after being diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at four. That was possible thanks to funds raised by strangers across the globe.
She lived with a family she had never met for a whole year. These people would go on to change her life forever.
The relationship between Giuseppina and the family who helped her gradually faded over time. While they kept in touch through exchanged letters, communication methods changed over time and distance made it harder to keep in touch.
Now, over 50 years later, Giuseppina’s daughter, Francesca, is now working on piecing together her mother’s life, using little more than a surname, letters, and social media.
The Fight to Save Giuseppina’s Sight
Giuseppina was born in 1963 in Messina, Sicily, and her childhood was anything but ordinary. When she was four years old, she was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma.
Her parents were warned by doctors in Sicily that she would go blind if she did not undergo emergency and complex surgery.
Moreover, the procedure required expertise unavailable in Italy at that time, and the cost was too high for Giuseppina's family to afford.
“My parents were heartbroken. They didn’t have the resources to pay for such an operation, but they refused to give up," Giuseppina said.
In an extraordinary display of community spirit, the local community, Italian newspapers, and radio stations rallied to help. Donations poured in from strangers across Italy and beyond.
Thanks to the support, Giuseppina and her mother boarded a plane to New York, embarking on a journey that would not only save her sight but also introduce them to an Italian-American family who would become their second home for the next year.
Giuseppina’s mother, who left behind six children, would only hear from them by letters. Since she didn’t know how to write, the Italian-American host mother became her scribe, carefully writing letters to update her family back home on Giuseppina’s welfare.
Lost Connections, Unanswered Questions
The surgery was partially successful - Giuseppina retained partial vision in one eye but lost sight in the other shortly after. Nearly 50 years later, she suffered from agonising pain in her eyes.
Her condition was further complicated by the absence of medical records. Giuseppina's medical records at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York are no longer available.
According to state law, hospitals must retain patient records for at least six years after a patient's last visit, so older files like Giuseppina's are no longer available.
With her parents no longer alive, this has left Giuseppina with unanswered questions about her treatment.
“I feel like part of my history has been erased,” Giuseppina says.
“I don’t even know exactly what was done to me during surgery as I was very young," she added.
Francesca’s Mission to Reconnect
Giuseppina’s daughter, Francesca, now a London-based journalist, grew up hearing fragments of her mother’s story but knew there were gaps that needed filling.
While she knew that uncovering the truth wouldn’t heal her mother’s eye, she hoped it might bring a sense of closure and positivity to a journey marked by so much uncertainty.
Francesca said: “I’d always wondered about the family in New York who took in my mother and great-grandmother. Who were they? What motivated them to help my mum?”
In 2020, Francesca embarked on an ambitious journey to discover the missing pieces of Giuseppina's story, driven by her mom's ongoing pain.
She looked through newspaper archives with her university lecturer, Simon, in an attempt to find information about the doctor who treated her mother in New York, unsure if he was still alive, and about the family who hosted her mother over half a century ago.
The archives revealed numerous articles about her mother’s remarkable journey, reigniting Francesca’s determination.
Armed with these clippings and the family’s surname, she turned to social media, messaging individuals and posting appeals in Italian-American groups.
Though she never found the doctor who performed the 1967 surgery, her persistence paid off. Weeks later, a relative of the New York family she contacted helped her reconnect with the son of the Italian-American couple who had once opened their home to Giuseppina and her mother.
The Emotional Reunion
In a tearful telephone call, Giuseppina finally spoke with the family who had opened their doors all those years ago.
They fondly recalled how Giuseppina and their son had formed a sibling-like bond during their stay.
The reunion was a bittersweet moment. Giuseppina felt a sense of closure, but also a flood of emotions.
"It's amazing how their kindness continues to resonate all these years later," she said.
As well as Giuseppina and her mother, the family revealed that they had also helped other people.
Throughout the years, they opened their doors to many families in need, offering comfort and support during some of life's most difficult moments.
As Giuseppina and Francesca learned about this legacy, their gratitude deepened. “It’s incredible to know that their kindness wasn’t just an isolated act, but part of who they are,” Francesca says.
A Story of Resilience and Generosity
Today, Giuseppina continues to face significant challenges. After years of debilitating pain and uncertainty, she finally found an eye doctor in Milan who offered a glimmer of hope.
She underwent a cornea transplant, a procedure that promised potential relief but she was warned of the risk of losing her eye entirely.
The surgery went well, but her condition remains uncertain.
Undiagnosed diseases affect 350 million people worldwide, according to The Undiagnosed Day 2024.
The story of her life is not only one of hardship; it is also one of resilience, perseverance, and generosity.
The impact of acts of kindness can transcend borders, bridge generations, and last a lifetime.
“This isn’t just my mother’s story,” Francesca said. “It’s about the power of community, family, and never giving up - even when the odds seem impossible.”
Please share this story with others to increase awareness about rare diseases and the power of community.
For those living with rare diseases, the Genetic Alliance UK offers resources and support.
What do you think is the most important factor in overcoming health issues?
Support from others
Personal resilience
Access to resources (like healthcare)
Luck and timing
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