Patient Stories

AECP Targets the Younger Population
It all started two summers ago, when Mrs. Donna Evans, the wife of former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, visited the 10th century renowned Armenian Monastery of Sanahin in Lori region. A child, playing in the courtyard, caught Mrs. Evans’ attention. The child was lovely and beautiful and had acute strabismus. This year, 2007, in March, at the request of Mrs. Donna Evans the AECP tried to find and support the child to receive treatment. During this search other children with strabismus were encountered, some of who had an opportunity to benefit from the AECP services.

In the village of Sanahin, like any other rural area in Armenia, there is a close network among people: everybody knows everyone.  Sanahin school was the best place to look for the child. As soon as the teachers learnt about the story, they started browsing their memories, consulting each other but did not recall any such case in their village. Finally they suggested the child must have been a tourist and not a resident of their village as Sanahin is visited by thousands of sightseers from all over Armenia and the world.

This could have been the end of the story unless persistent search was continued in the adjacent district called Sanahin-Sarahart.  At the health post the General practitioners cordially agreed to help. Though the Child doctor was on holiday, she promptly joined the process and came up with a list of children with strabismus.

The AECP promptly made arrangements with Dr. Rouzanna Harutyunyan, Pediatric Ophthalmologist and Chief of the Malayan Ophthalomologic Center Pediatric Clinic, to have the eyes of children from Sanahin-Sarahart examined to see if surgical intervention was necessary. The transportation costs were also covered by the AECP, since many of the families could not afford coming to Yerevan from the far away region of Lori.

Artur Koloyan, 7, is one of the kids who the AECP sponsored to undergo detailed screening at Malayan Ophthalmologic Center. After the examination it was decided that Artur did not need surgery, and his vision could be corrected through treatment and eyeglasses.

“I understand that regular check-ups are very important to correct and preserve my child’s vision.” Says Hasmik Kirakosyan, Artur’s mother. “We had visited Malayan Ophthalmologic Centre five times before, but unfortunately stopped treatment as we could not afford the follow-up. Now the doctor says Artur has to undergo 10-day treatment, and I am hopeful that an AECP sponsor will support us with this also”, she adds.

Gor Danielyan, 8, also has strabismus. The eye examination revealed that, on top of all, his one eye has lost most of its capacity to see.

“My child is the dearest person to me in the whole world, and his health is what concerns me the most. I am deeply indebted and thankful for this opportunity to have his eyes examined, which I could not afford”, says Naira Danielyan, Gor’s mother. She is worried to hear about Gor’s severe eye problem and trusts the AECP will support further to bring sight to her son’s eyes.

Vergine Revazyan is only four years old. She does not interact with anyone and stands still clutching at her grandmother’s hand.

The Child ophthalmologist Dr. Nune Hakobyan makes all the effort to have Vergine’s attention to examine her eyes.  Vergine has neurological problems and is referred to the neurologist to see if she can undergo surgery on her eyes. After the neurologist’s consultation, she has her eyes examined second time by Dr. Rouzanna Harutyunyan: her vision can be improved through surgery.

Though 5 year old Yura Varosyan does not go to school yet, he can recite a lot of poems and shows great interest in his elder brother’s studies.

In the examination room he enjoys telling the images on the chart, but is a bit disappointed when the doctor uses eye drops to enlarge his pupils to examine the eye fundus.  He promises never to come to Yerevan again, but a few minutes later he is fine and gets involved in a game with other kids in the lobby. The doctor decides Yura’s vision problem can be helped by wearing eyeglasses. AECP takes care he gets a pair on the same day and without charge.

“I am so thankful to AECP,” shares Nelli Varosyan, Yura’s mother. “Yura has got the eyeglasses to correct his vision and in three months we will revisit the doctor to discuss the improvement”.

These kids now stand a better chance to improve their vision.  The AECP will take care that they receive free of charge treatment they need. While there are many more, who wait to be helped to see all the wonderful colors and shapes around them.