Women's Portraits

Angiolina Cartamantiglia

She gives with one hand and the other too, but one does not know about the other.

She is 72 years old and single. She is very generous and helpful towards the needy. When she  knows of anyone who is in need, Angiolina immediately intervenes both with health services, acquired in 40 years as a professional nurse, or with gifts or financial aids. She is always busy preparing packages or envelopes exerting, in this way, a spontaneous and disinterested voluntary service.

Biographical Notes

Angiolina lives where she was born, in Nuoro. She has got a brother and a married sister, but she is happily single. Her childhood was poor but happy. She has been working since she was 13/14 years old, first helping at home and learning how to embroider, then as a typist and, finally, at the age of 19, after achieving specialization, working as a professional nurse until retirement (she’s retired for 16 years ). The best period of her life was during her youth, when she lived with her mother, who died when Angelina was 21 years old. Her mother conveys her passion for embroidery, and Angiolina learns how to embellish the women costume of Nuoro, a  Sardinian town. As she was the eldest daughter, she took charge of her family, supporting it financially even with her profession of nursing. The contact with the sick, the dedication with which she worked to alleviate their sufferings, filled her life.

The "after - retirement."

At the age of 57, Angiolina’s retired, so that she can devote herself full time to what has always been her desire: helping the others. She has never thought of starting a family. As the first patients in the hospital, now they are friends and people in trouble with which she comes into contact, she  never fails to support in every way. Angiolina works with self-denial, alone, faithful to the Gospel maxim "the right hand does not know what the left is doing." She does not like to talk willingly about what she does for someone else. She did on this occasion, because Angiolina realized that her testimony could be helpful to others.

Hard times

The most difficult period of her life was certainly the one following her mother’s death, when she had to take on great responsibilities. But she was young and full of energy and although she was in pain, she faced bravely her life. But, at the age of 64, she was struck by a severe feet disease. She starts walking more and more slowly, with difficulty and a lot of pain. She goes on getting worse, until the time comes and she can not walk anymore. Angiolina is in crisis. She can not forsake people in need. Angiolina’s friends stand by her, they sustain and advise her. Angiolina’s relatives show all their affection.

Little by little, with their help, Angiolina becomes aware of the problem and decides to undergo surgical operation which fortunately is fine, even if the rehabilitation is very slow and difficult. Step by step she starts walking again. She recovers psychologically and after, more or less, one year she comes back to her life by engaging herself with new energy. 

Her present

Nowadays she is always still active and full of joy. She gives a hand to her friends, relatives and acquaintances. Her days are full of commitments: she keeps on doing housework, the embroidery and is always willing to help and sustain in case of need. Her phone often rings and Angiolina runs not really fast, because her feet are not as they used to be, but early enough to relieve the others’ sufferings.

Anna Rossini, Sara Deiola