Umud Hambardzumyan, 58 years old
Two years ago, Umud Hambardzumyan started to have problems with his eyes. It started with a cataract and then many other problems sprang up having to do with his vision. As complications mounted, the doctors had no choice but to remove his corneas.
“It has been seven months since I was able to see at all. After doctors removed my corneas, my only hope for being able to see again was to wait for the corneal transplants,” Umud, 58, said. “It is very hard to lose your sight all of a sudden. I have already started to forget the faces of my dear ones in my memory.
“I have decided to have the surgery in Armenia as I have more trust in my own country,” he explains. “I have heard about the quality of the doctors here. I would also like to thank Dr. Anna Hovakimyan for the hard work she has done to restore a piece of my sight.”
Umud has lived in Rostov, Russia since 1972, moving there as a young man because the rest of his family had all already relocated there. He has three daughters and eight grandchildren. They have a small hotel in Rostov, which is their family business.
