It was a night to remember when friends and supporters of AECP got together on November 23, 2024 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach for AECP’s Annual Gala.
Dr. Astghik Ghazaryan is the most recent ophthalmologist from Armenia to complete a two-year fellowship in her specialty of retina through AECP’s longstanding Fellowship Program. Now she returns to Armenia to put her knowledge and skills to work.
The World Diabetes Foundation is extending its support of our Diabetes Program in Armenia by funding a $780,000 grant so we may continue our sight-saving work in this sector.
It has been four years now that the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has an Armenian chapter. We are delighted to announce that another group of Armenian doctors and policymakers have successfully completed the IHI Open School Courses in March 2024.
We first met Abgar years ago when he received cataract surgery on our Mobile Eye Hospital. Recently, Abgar has developed another eye disease. So again he turned to the AECP for help.
Since the heartbreaking events of September 2023, Armenians everywhere have made it a priority to help the forcibly displaced refugees from Artsakh. From the first days of the Artsakh peoples’ displacement, the AECP, too, has actively supported our compatriots through services our organization provides.
The Armenian EyeCare Project was honored to participate in a policy dialogue on universal health coverage that took place on April 1, 2024 in Armenia. The event was jointly organized by Armenia’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) and included the participation of many prominent international groups.
Last week, AECP Volunteer Physician Dr. Ruben Grigorian paid a visit to the John Ohannes Khachigian AECP Regional Eye Center in Gyumri, Armenia to conduct consultations and surgeries for patients with complex retinal problems.
Due to our successful program, the AECP is often asked to share our expertise and knowledge in the prevention of childhood eye disease with other developing countries. Recently, Dr. Tadevos Hovhannisyan, AECP’s chief ROP surgeon in Armenia, traveled to Kyrgyzstan to train physicians there in the prevention of ROP and other childhood eye disease.
We are excited to announce that the Armenian EyeCare Project and its volunteer physicians will be traveling to Armenia for our 64th Medical Mission this September.
Susanna Kareyan received her first cornea transplant from the AECP back in 1995. Her implanted cornea layer lasted her nearly 30 years. Recently she was in need of a second transplant and was able to receive it with our help.
In September 2023, Dr. Narine Makyan traveled to the U.S. to participate in the AECP’s Next Generation Fellowship Program. Dr. Makyan recently completed her fellowship and has since returned to Armenia to put her knowledge and skills to work. We recently had a chance to catch up with her on her experience.
Since her birth, Yeva has undergone five surgeries and spent the first 11 months of her life in the hospital. Recently, she and her family traveled to Armenia to receive a sight-saving procedure at the AECP’s Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness.
The Armenian EyeCare Project honored both a close corporate partner as well as a generous benefactor and friend who sadly passed on during the nonprofit’s annual Gala fundraiser.
The AECP’s board and staff shares our deepest sympathy on the passing of Mr. Luther J. Khachigian. As we say goodbye to our beloved friend, we reflect on Luther’s booming personality, love of family, thoughtful generosity, and his relentless desire to give back and make a lasting impact for the people of Armenia. Luther came […]
Building on the momentous success of our Regional Eye Centers initiative launched in 2015, the AECP continues to pave the way for new diagnostic clinics to be established in the remaining regions of Armenia.
As a humanitarian crisis unfolds, the Armenian EyeCare Project stands with the people of Artsakh. We are resolute in providing care to the tens of thousands who seek solace in Armenia.
The AECP has launched its “Protect the Eyes of Those Who Protect the Motherland” campaign, which will provide Armenia’s soldiers with protective eyewear in an effort to prevent soldiers from sustaining serious eye injuries or going blind.
Haykaz Grigoryan, 23, is one of nine Armenian soldiers who has received prosthetic eye surgery after sustaining injuries from the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.
Our mission to make eye care accessible to every resident in Armenia continues as we develop additional eye care facilities across all regions of the country.
Last summer, in July 2021, the Armenian EyeCare Project received a three-year grant from USAID to enhance pediatric eye health services in Armenia. Here is what we’ve accomplished in one year.
After a two-year hiatus due to the Coronavirus, we are happy to announce that our Next Generation Fellowship Program, which brings promising young doctors from Armenia to the U.S. for advanced medical education and training, has started up again.
The AECP has partnered with French organizations Lumière Française, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris and the French Embassy in Armenia to establish an Armenian-French Ophthalmic School in Armenia.
What an incredible achievement! On April 24, 2022, our very own AECP Founder and President Dr. Roger Ohanesian was awarded with the 2022 Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award from the ASCRS Foundation.
The ASCRS Foundation has announced that AECP Founder and President Dr. Roger Ohanesian has been selected as its 2022 recipient of the ASCRS Foundation Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award!
Another year, another cutting-edge medical conference! Our AECP-CHLA 19th International Conference begins September 24 with lectures in ophthalmology and will continue to November through a series of online events that are free for participants from all over the world.
Two donors who both led modest lives will leave an extraordinary impact on the lives of countless residents in Armenia through their generous bequests to the Armenian EyeCare Project.
The AECP’s Low Vision Center in Yerevan is undergoing major enhancements to continue meeting the growing needs of the population, including soldiers and civilians wounded in the recent Artsakh War.
Following the recent Artsakh War the need for vision care in Armenia has increased due to injuries sustained by soldiers and civilians as a result of the war. To effectively address this increased need for care, the AECP has established a Vision Referral Program.
Nearly one year ago, an attack on Artsakh rocked the Armenian community. Our organization responded with emergency and ongoing aid.
Largely considered the hallmark of the AECP, our Mobile Eye Hospital is a surgical suite on wheels that delivers eye care to tens of thousands of Armenians each year who otherwise wouldn’t have access. Here are the stories of three Armenians who recently received sight-saving surgery aboard our mobile clinic.
Three children recently had their eyesight saved thanks to the diagnostics and treatment provided at our Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness in Yerevan.
We are proud to report that, despite the challenges of 2020, the Armenian EyeCare Project was able to open our fifth Regional Eye Center in Armenia last fall! Located in the city of Yeghegnadzor in the Vayots Dzor province, the Vahakn Aglamishian AECP Regional Eye Center was opened in October 2020 and brings eye care to the thousands of Armenians living in the region.
Elinar is only seven years old but she has already experienced the horror of war. The morning of September 27, 2020 Elinar woke up to the sound of bombs going off near her home.
The second part of the AECP-CHLA 18th International Conference – dedicated to neonatology and pediatrics – will start Monday February 15 and continue to Thursday February 18 through a series of online events free for participants all over the world.
Last fall, the Armenian EyeCare Project’s Country Director, Nune Yeghiazaryan, was asked to speak at the World Health Organization’s webinar for World Diabetes Day.
What has the Armenian EyeCare Project accomplished in its nearly 30 years of service in Armenia? Check out the infographic our team put together to see all that our organization has done since it was founded in 1992.
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan launched violent attacks on Karabakh (also known as Artsakh), targeting Armenian civilians and propelling Armenia’s military to act. Like many others in our community, these attacks have left me both heartbroken and driven to help.
On September 27, early in the morning, Azerbaijan launched violent attacks along the border of Artsakh.
Registration for the AECP-CHLA 18th International Conference is now open! If you’d like to attend the virtual conference, you can do so in three easy steps.
The Armenian EyeCare Project will be hosting one of its biggest annual events a little differently this year as our organization prepares to go virtual due to the coronavirus.
Our Mobile Eye Hospital has restarted its regular activities in the regions of Armenia following four long months of COVID-19 related restrictions. All necessary precautions are in place to protect both doctors and patients while we provide much-needed eye care services to Armenia’s population.
Dear Friends, As we watch the COVID-19 pandemic continue to sweep around the globe, we are reminded daily that this is a time of incredible complexity for everyone. The wide breadth of the COVID-19 impact includes devastating secondary effects on the lives of many families, especially in developing countries. Many governments worldwide are struggling to […]
As we look to nearly 30 years of service in Armenia, the AECP is pleased to welcome our four newest board members to our Board of Directors who will help facilitate our success for years to come.
Big hearts come in small packages! Last year, seven-year-old Ziva Bodenschatz received a school assignment: find a way to improve her community and write an official letter to a local agency. She decided that she would like to help people –especially children – see.
Largely considered the hallmark of the AECP, our Mobile Eye Hospital is a surgical suite on wheels that delivers eye care to tens of thousands of Armenians each year who otherwise wouldn’t have access. Here are the stories of three Armenians who recently received sight-saving surgery aboard our mobile clinic.
With recent developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has undoubtedly been a trying time for nearly everyone around the world. As always, the health and safety of our community comes first and we are taking the appropriate measures to protect the well-being of our beneficiaries, staff and friends.
We have begun 2020 with some great news to mark the extra-special year for our organization: the first ophthalmologist from our Next Generation Fellowship Program, Dr. Vahan Papoyan, has arrived in the U.S. from Armenia and is currently completing his medical fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.
Amidst flowing cocktails, a five-course dinner and elegant décor, hundreds of donors and friends of the Armenian EyeCare Project gathered at the beautiful Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach to support and celebrate the organization on another momentous year.
The Armenian EyeCare Project is pleased to announce that we have officially launched our eye screening program for preschool-aged children thanks to our crowdfunding campaign with Fund for Armenian Relief’s (FAR) Ayo! platform.
In cooperation with the World Diabetes Foundation and the Ministry of Health of Armenia, the Armenian EyeCare Project has implemented a nationwide screening program using state-of-the-art AI technology.
The Armenian EyeCare Project organized a range of engaging events for World Sight Day this year to raise public awareness about vision problems and steps that should be taken to avoid preventable blindness.
Since launching our large-scale School Screening Program in October 2018, we have screened over 20,000 schoolchildren across Armenia. Here are some of their stories.
Volunteer physicians from the Armenian EyeCare Project and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles hit the ground running when arriving in Armenia for the AECP’s Medical Mission this past July.
Working with Children’s Hospital L.A., we have launched a large-scale School Screening Program, which uses innovative technology to screen children in schools across Armenia in hopes of detecting common eye diseases found in these children early on and possibly preventing them in the future.
Several physicians from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) will be joining the Armenian EyeCare Project for our upcoming Medical Mission to Armenia in July!
We are pleased to extend an invitation to all medical professionals to attend the AECP-CHLA 17th International Medical Conference on Ophthalmology, Neonatology and Endocrinology on July 22-23, 2019 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Earlier this year, we shared the story of how one donor was able to adopt two villages in Armenia by selling her embroidery work to friends and family online. We are happy to announce that thanks to this sponsorship, over 500 residents in Khndzoresk and Karashen have been able to get their eyes screened and will receive advanced treatment if needed.
Three patients in Armenia have recently received corneal transplants thanks to one generous donor who sponsored their surgeries last November. Because of Ms. Armeney Kourdjian Mazian, these three Armenians have regained their sight. Here are their stories.
It is with great sorrow that the Armenian EyeCare Project announces the recent passing of Leslie Newquist, the organization’s longtime Executive Director and dear friend.
As the physician who undeniably performs the most cataract surgeries in Armenia, it was clear to the EyeCare Project that Dr. Asatur Hovsepyan – and by association the patients in Armenia that he treats — could benefit tremendously from learning of the industry’s latest updates and advancements in cataracts.
When Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte learned she could be the reason residents in two villages in Armenia receive eye care, she got creative.
This holiday season, your donation to our Cornea Transplant Program will bring sight… and smiles… to Armenian eyes.
Spirits were high as we rounded out another successful year — the EyeCare Project’s 26th year of service to Armenia — with our annual Gala in Newport Beach.
Our Regional Eye Center in Gyumri is up and running! In late September, during our Fall Medical Mission to Armenia, the EyeCare Project unveiled our newest eye center, the John Ohannes Khachigian AECP Regional Eye Center, in Gyumri.
The Armenian EyeCare Project’s Armenia Trip for friends and donors began last year as a special way to celebrate our organization’s 25th Anniversary – for our supporters to see our programs in person and experience Armenia together. Because the trip was so successful, we decided to organize an “encore” excursion for 2018.
In 2016, we began a Cornea Transplant Program, asking donors to sponsor surgery for those in Armenia who needed the procedure but could not afford its cost. Here are the stories of three Armenians who have received cornea transplant surgery because of your support, including a courageous teenage boy named Ashot.
A state-of-the-art Regional Eye Center will open its doors in the second-largest city in Armenia this fall. The Armenian EyeCare Project will unveil our fourth Regional Eye Center in Armenia and celebrate the Grand Opening of the John Ohannes Khachigian AECP Regional Eye Center in Gyumri during our 2018 Medical Mission to Armenia in September.
The Armenian EyeCare Project is pleased to invite ophthalmologists, neonatologists and other medical professionals to attend the AECP-CHLA 16th International Conference on Ophthalmology, Neonatology and Endocrinology on September 24-26, 2018 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Before you enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks, follow these eye safety tips to stay safe during the holiday.
From praying for his daughter’s life after a terrible landmine accident to witnessing her wedding day over 10 years later, Ashot Astamyan has experienced a range of emotion when it comes to his daughter, Tsovinar. Here is their story.
In 2016, we began a Cornea Transplant Program, asking donors to sponsor surgery for those in Armenia who needed the procedure but could not afford its cost. Here are the stories of three Armenians who have received cornea transplant surgery because of your support, including our youngest beneficiary yet.
AECP Fellow Dr. Ani Hambardzumyan has dedicated her life to offering the best eye care possible in Armenia. In 2004, she received a fellowship to study her specialty sponsored by the AECP. Last month, she was extended another opportunity by the AECP: to continue her medical education by participating in the 9th International Conference and Exhibition on Tissue Engineering and Biobanking in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Though saddened when we learned of former California Governor George Deukmejian’s passing, we quickly remembered all the good he brought to the world.
In 2016, we began a Cornea Transplant Program, asking donors to sponsor corneal surgery for those in Armenia who needed it. Here are the stories of two Armenians who have received cornea transplant surgery because of your support and one who is still awaiting surgery.
In support of our Diabetes Program, LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has donated two $45,000 lasers, which will enable us to treat diabetic eye disease through laser procedure and prevent vision loss and, ultimately, blindness.
Last summer we hosted a special 25th Anniversary Trip to Armenia for friends and donors of the Armenian EyeCare Project. Our Armenia Adventure was such a success that we are planning a second trip this fall!
Rather than receiving gifts this year for her 22nd birthday, Nairi Rostomian decided to donate her special day to a good cause.
Since our Cornea Transplant Program began in 2016, we have provided over 70 cornea transplants in Armenia thanks to our generous donors and their contributions. However, there are still many Armenians on the list awaiting surgery. One of them is Armine.
In 2016, the Armenian EyeCare Project began a Cornea Transplant Program, asking donors to sponsor the surgery for those in Armenia who needed it. Here are the stories of three Armenians who recently received cornea transplants because of your support.
A few days before our 25th Anniversary Gala, AECP Founder Dr. Roger Ohanesian received a letter from President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who congratulated him and the Armenian EyeCare Project on 25 years of service in Armenia.
It’s been a momentous year for our organization with much to celebrate. It culminated with an extra-special AECP 25th Anniversary Gala.
Every year for the past decade, a group of Armenian-Americans in Racine, Wisconsin organize a Golf Outing for their community and donate proceeds from the event to the Armenian EyeCare Project. This year was the group’s 10th Annual Golf Outing and it had the biggest turnout yet!
Armenian EyeCare Project Founder & President Dr. Roger Ohanesian has a few words for friends and supporters of the AECP.
Another year, another World Sight Day celebrated in Armenia. The AECP has been honoring the annual day of awareness, which focuses on global attention on blindness and vision impairment, for over a decade now. Find out how we celebrated this year.
On September 21, 1991, the people of Armenia voted to proclaim independence from the Soviet Union. Though challenging at first, the courageous move toward self-governance has led to much progress in Armenia, including the state of medical care in the country. The Armenian EyeCare Project is proud to have been involved in this evolution from the very beginning.
Last year, the Armenian EyeCare Project began a cornea transplant program, asking donors to sponsor the surgery for those in Armenia who needed it. Here are the stories of three Armenians who recently received cornea transplants because of your support.
Dan Yessian, an award-winning composer, producer and musician, has been a proud donor of the Armenian EyeCare Project for years. Now his dream is to inspire others to give to the same cause he cares so deeply about.
The AECP visits Armenia twice a year on Medical Missions, but this was the first time a group of donors joined the trip in celebration of our 25th Anniversary.
One major accomplishment during the AECP’s 25th Anniversary Medical Mission and Trip to Armenia was the grand opening of our third Regional Eye Center in Armenia and the first-ever eye clinic in the southernmost province of Armenia.
When you ask Berge Kayaian why he supports the AECP his answer is simple: he understands there is a solution to eye disease and he knows that he can help. Most recently, Kayaian has sponsored the operating room of our Regional Eye Center in Kapan and has dedicated it to his late mother.
To commemorate 25 years of service, each month this year, we will feature a key element of our organization that has allowed us to bring eye care to the people of Armenia. This month, we write about our Low Vision Clinic — the only clinic of its kind in the Caucasus.
“I have a policy,” said Luther J. Khachigian. “The more you give, the more you get.” That has been the 81-year-old’s mantra for as long as he can remember — and it’s more applicable now than ever. Khachigian, a longtime supporter of the AECP, has underwritten our fourth Regional Eye Center!
To commemorate 25 years of service, each month this year, we will feature a key element of our organization that has allowed us to bring eye care to the people of Armenia. This month, we share our strategy for delivering eye care to hundreds of thousands of people in Armenia — a comprehensive, five-point program that works.
Last year, the Armenian EyeCare Project began a cornea transplant program, asking donors to sponsor the surgery for those in Armenia who needed it. Here are the stories of three Armenians who recently received cornea transplants because of your support.
To commemorate 25 years of service, each month this year, we will feature a key element of our organization that has allowed us to bring eye care to the people of Armenia. This month, we write about our partnership with USAID, which has made it possible for us to offer eye care to the most vulnerable in Armenia.
To reduce vision impairment and blindness from diabetic eye disease in Armenia, the World Diabetes Foundation has awarded the Armenian EyeCare Project a $200,000 grant for a three-year diabetes program.
To commemorate 25 years of service, each month this year, we will feature a key element of our organization that has allowed us to bring eye care to the people of Armenia. This month, we share the story of our Mobile Eye Hospital, a state-of-the-art surgical suite on wheels that travels throughout Armenia to provide eye care.
The Armenian EyeCare Project has been named a Four-Star Charity — the highest rating possible — by Charity Navigator, the largest charity watchdog agency in the U.S.!
This summer, the Armenian EyeCare Project will embark on a special Mission trip to Armenia in celebration of our 25th Anniversary and we want you to join us for this unforgettable trip!
To commemorate 25 years of service, each month this year, we will feature a key element of our organization that has allowed us to bring eye care to the people of Armenia. This month, we tell the tale of our first AECP fellows — four physicians in Armenia who were selected to study ophthalmology abroad and return to Armenia to open subspecialty clinics.
Last year, the Armenian EyeCare Project began a cornea transplant program, asking donors to sponsor the surgery for those in Armenia who needed it. Below are the stories of three Armenians who received cornea transplants because of your support.
As the Armenian EyeCare Project enters its 25th year of providing quality eye care to Armenia, we’re pleased to announce our three new board members who will help facilitate our success for many years to come.
To commemorate 25 years of service, each month this year the Armenian EyeCare Project will feature a key element of our organization that has allowed us to bring eye care to the people of Armenia. This month, we share the story of how the Project came to be.
Ten-year-old Azniv Basralian wanted to do something special for those less fortunate this Christmas season and she asked her Sunday School class to join her.
After training for several years, Dr. Tadevos Hovhannisyan performed his first vitreo-retinal surgery in Armenia last summer without any on-site assistance.
If you’ve been to our AECP Store, you’ve probably noticed our custom-designed notecards and Christmas cards. But do you know how our beautiful AECP cards came to be?
Festivities for the celebration of our 25th Anniversary have begun! In the last few weeks, the Armenian EyeCare Project has hosted two dinners for our friends and donors.
On October 13, 2016, we celebrated World Sight Day in Armenia — an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.
We’re pleased to announce the launch of our 25th Anniversary and look forward to celebrating the milestone with our friends and supporters!
We are “Kicking Off” our third Regional Eye Center — in Kapan, Syunik — with a crowdfunding campaign! Our goal is to raise $10,000 so we can purchase 11 much-needed pieces of equipment for the clinic.
A few months ago, we shared with you the critical need for cornea transplants among many patients in Armenia. More than 100 Armenians were in need of a transplant to save their sight, but most could not afford the cost. We reached out and asked for your help. As always, you — our wonderful friends and supporters — responded.
Last fall, Zhora, a 16-year-old boy from the village of Tsovinar, began to experience eye problems. He had blurred vision and, at times, the pain was so severe it became a struggle for him to open his eyes.
Born premature, baby Marina was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in both of her eyes. She would need laser surgery immediately to avoid a lifetime of blindness.
An undergraduate student at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Nairi Rostomian recounts her experience joining the Armenian EyeCare Project as a medical observer during our 52nd Medical Mission to Armenia this summer.
Perhaps the most exciting achievement from our most recent Medical Mission to Armenia was the grand opening of our second Regional Eye Center in Armenia — and the first-ever eye clinic in the Lori province — the John and Hasmik Mgrdichian AECP Regional Eye Center in Spitak, Lori.
A third-year medical student at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, Anna Ter-Zakarian recounts her experience joining the Armenian EyeCare Project as a medical observer during our 52nd Medical Mission to Armenia this summer.
After an action-packed 10 days in Armenia, we’ve completed our most recent Medical Mission to the country — marking our 52nd trip to the motherland since the Armenian EyeCare Project was founded in 1992.
In Armenia, more than 100 people are waiting for a corneal transplant. Most are blind or nearly blind because they don’t have the money — $800 — for surgery.
A dear friend of the Armenian EyeCare Project, Dr. Wong works closely with the AECP to train and mentor Armenian physicians. During his last trip to Armenia in March, Dr. Wong’s itinerary was packed with sight-saving screenings and surgeries.
This year, the Armenian EyeCare Project and Ucom will work together to coordinate free eye exams for more than 12,000 Armenians throughout Armenia.
We’ve got exciting news: The AECP is growing its team and we’re thrilled to announce Rostom Sarkissian as our new Director of Development!
For four years, Lilit’s vision had been getting increasingly worse. Two months ago, she was diagnosed with advanced keratoconus in both eyes. The only way to save her sight was a cornea transplant, but like so many others, Lilit’s family could not afford the cost for surgery.
A third-year medical student at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, Anna Ter-Zakarian recounts her experience participating in the Armenian EyeCare Project’s Medical Observership program in December 2015.
