Armenian EyeCare Project

Arman’s Sight Restored

Arman lost the sight in his right eye as a child. He was playing with a box of matches, when accidentally the head from a fired match struck his eye resulting in blindness.

“I could see – but very badly. I could hardly read the first line in the eye chart. I had the surgery two weeks ago and now I can see until the sixth line. I decided to have the surgery in Armenia as I had heard good things about the doctors from my relatives who live here. When I came, I was not disappointed. I was very pleased with the way they explained everything to me and with the care they showed for each patient. That gave me a feeling of trust,” said Arman.

Arman currently lives in Krasnodar, Russia. He is studying for a master’s degree of law at university. At the moment, he earns his living by working at a car repair service.

Myth: There is nothing you can do to prevent vision loss.

Fact: At the very first sign of symptoms, such as blurred vision, eye pain, flashes of light, or sudden onset of floater in your eyes, you should see a doctor. If detected early enough, depending on the cause, there are treatments that can correct, stop, or at least slow down the loss of vision.

Myth: Two blue-eyed parents can't produce a child with brown eyes.

Fact: Two blue-eyed parents can have a child with brown eyes, although it's very rare. Likewise, two brown-eyed parents can have a child with blue eyes, although this is also uncommon.

Myth: Using your eyes too much will wear them out.

Fact: We wouldn't lose our sense of smell by using our nose too much or our hearing by using our ears too much. The eyes were made for seeing. We won't lose our vision by using our eyes for their intended purpose.

Diruhi’s Story

On 30 January 2014, Diruhi had cataract surgery. Unfortunately, after the surgery her sight continued to worsen. Diruhi was referred to Dr. Anna Hovakimyan and after a detailed examination she was told that she had a damaged cornea and that she needed a corneal transplant.

“I waited for the transplant for more than a year. My sudden blindness caused many difficulties in my everyday life. I couldn’t do anything at home and couldn’t look after my grandchildren. Now I am feeling very good. The pain is relieved and I can see again,” said Diruhi.

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