Vergineh’s Story

Their Daughter’s Condition Was Painful

“My daughter was suffering in front of my eyes and there was nothing I could do to help,” said Vergineh’s father. Her mother said her daughter’s eyesight was so bad she was walking into walls. As painful as their daughter’s condition was, Vergineh’s parents could do nothing. They had no money. Not even for an eye examination. With Armenia’s widespread poverty something as simple as an eye examination or a pair of eyeglasses is not available to more than 90 million people, explained Richard Hill, Armenian Eye Care Project physician.

Vergineh is from a small poverty stricken village in Armenia where there is no doctor or clinic. Furthermore, eye glasses and an eye exam were impossible to obtain due to his family’s financial situation.

Vergineh’s poor vision affected all areas of his life including school where he did not study because he simply could not see well. Vergineh’s parents felt helpless for the six years that her son has had problems with his eyesight.

Fortunately, the Armenian Eye Care Project’s Mobile Eye Hospital made a visit to Vergineh’s village and launched an eyeglass distribution system. Through the program, they provided eye screenings and glasses to thousands of children. Roger V. Ohanesian, founder and Chairman of the Armenian Eye care Project, said, “It’s the easiest way to correct blindness in some people. They’re literally blind because they’re not wearing glasses.”

Vergineh was able to receive an eye screening and a pair of glasses that restored her sight. When her father saw her for the first time after she received her brand new pair of eyeglasses he said, “When I saw her I froze. There was an incredible change. She was so excited and enthusiastic. Our lives are so much better now.”