CALL TO DISASTER; GLENDALE WOMAN CHRONICLES STRUGGLES IN PROVIDING RELIEF TO NEEDY.Byline: Lee Condon Condon is a surname that originated in Ireland. The name is derived from a French surname de Caunteton, which came to Ireland with Norman settlers in the 12th century AD. In Irish the surname is Condún. Daily News Staff Writer Back in 1988, Dr. Carolann Najarian admits she didn't even want to join her husband on his first trip to Armenia to aid victims of the massacre Massacre See also Genocide. Acre after conquering city, Richard I executed 2700 Muslims (1191). [Eur. Hist.: Bishop, 83–84] Armenian Massacre Turks decimated Armenian population, dispersed survivors (1896). [Eur. Hist. on the port city of Sumgait. ``I had basically no interest in going to Armenia. My husband dragged me,'' said Najarian, 59. After a December 1988 earthquake killed 80,000 people and left a million people homeless, Najarian and her husband went back again, this time with a cargo plane cargo plane n → avión m de carga cargo plane n → avion-cargo m cargo plane cargo n → full of medical supplies. Since then Najarian has made 28 trips to Armenia and Karabagh, an Armenian enclave enclave /en·clave/ (en´klav) tissue detached from its normal connection and enclosed within another organ. en·clave n. A detached mass of tissue enclosed in tissue of another kind. which has been fighting to win independence from the neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. country of Azerbaijan. Now Najarian has written and self-published a book about her experiences titled ``A Call From Home,'' chronicling the struggles to get medical supplies and food to the people who needed them most. ``Armenia has a way of getting under your skin,'' Najarian said of why she gave up a successful medical practice in Cambridge, Mass., to become president of the Armenian Health Alliance, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. she founded with her husband, George. Tonight Najarian, who lives in Cambridge, will talk about her book at the Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center Auditorium auditorium Portion of a theater or hall where an audience sits, as distinct from the stage. The auditorium originated in the theaters of ancient Greece, as a semicircular seating area cut into a hillside. at 1420 S. Central Ave AVE Avenue AVE Average AVE Alta Velocidad Espanola (train between Madrid and Seville) AVE Alta Velocidad Española (Spanish: High Speed Train) AVE Audio Video Entertainment AVE Advertising Value Equivalent . in Glendale at 7 p.m. The help of Najarian and thousands of Americans like her have been essential in helping Armenians through a series of natural and political disasters including the earthquake recovery, the turmoil of war in Karabagh, economic blockades by neighboring countries and the fall of the Soviet Union. Before that first visit to Armenia with her husband, Najarian said they had little involvement in the Armenian community. But as children of survivors of the Armenian genocide  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. in 1915, it was time to take action after Azerbaijan rioters killed 35 Armenians and beat and raped hundreds in February 1988. ``I was thinking, this is terrible; how can this happen again?'' Najarian said. But it was the earthquake later, in December 1988, that required major efforts on the part of Armenians in America. ``Everyone's life stopped cold,'' Najarian said. ``It was the biggest and still is the biggest relief effort ever mounted.'' The story in a ``A Call to Home'' is universal because so many parts of the world are impacted by disasters like earthquakes, war and blockades. She hopes people working on hurricane relief in Honduras and other relief efforts read her book and learn from her experiences. The book is available or can be special-ordered in Glendale at Abril Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Berj Bookstore, Borders and Sardarbad Bookstore. CAPTION(S): photo PHOTO Dr. Carolann Najarian will talk about her book, ``A Call From Home,'' at the Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center Auditorium. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion