HOOVER SENIOR INSPIRES OTHERS GOALS SURVIVE OPERATIONS.Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer GLENDALE - Although he's only 18, Hoover High School Hoover High School may refer to any of the following:
Because of Marfan syndrome Marfan syndrome Rare hereditary disorder of connective tissue. Affected persons are tall, with long, thin limbs and spiderlike fingers (arachnodactyly). The lens of the eye is dislocated, and many have glaucoma or detached retina. , a genetic disorder, Nazarian has undergone open-heart surgery open-heart surgery Any surgical procedure opening the heart and exposing one or more of its chambers, most often to repair valve disease or correct congenital heart malformations (see congenital heart disease). and three operations on his eyes in the past few years. Despite the medical crises that have robbed him of one year of school, Nazarian has excelled in his studies and will be among about 580 seniors graduating from Hoover today. ``He really is an inspiration to a lot of people,'' said Hoover's head counselor, Eric Sahakian. ``He has overcome many obstacles, whereas (others of) any age would have thrown in the towel.'' Nazarian, graduating with a 3.4 grade-point average and a number of honors, was diagnosed at 18 months with Marfan syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder that affects the eyes, skeleton, heart, lungs, skin and other parts of the body. ``All the time he was falling down and bruising because he couldn't see,'' recalled his mother, Janette Karabekyan, who is raising him on her own. ``He kept toys really close to his eyes, like he was smelling something.'' To improve his vision, he underwent multiple surgeries at an early age. In recent years, doctors have had to operate on his right eye after a detached retina detached retina Separation of most layers of the retina of the eye from the choroid, the pigmented middle layer of the eyeball. With age, small tears can develop in the retina, and the vitreous humour inside the eyeball leaks through, separating the retina from the choroid. caused a loss of sight. ``(Kevin) is a very strong individual, despite all his setbacks and, at times, blindness in both eyes,'' said Dr. Kenneth W. Wright Kenneth W. Wright currently serves as a minister of the New Iberia church of Christ[1] in New Iberia, Louisiana. Wright was born in 1945 in Houston, Texas, the only child of William and Mildred Wright. of Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, who diagnosed the genetic disorder that had stumped other doctors. ``He has always had a positive attitude. This is the most important thing about Kevin. He never gave up,'' said Wright. ``He always did the most with what he had. He wouldn't accept blindness, but he would work with it.'' Soon after recovering from his recent eye surgeries, Nazarian was found to have a dilated dilated a state of dilatation. dilated cardiomyopathy see congestive cardiomyopathy. dilated pupil syndrome see feline dysautonomia (Key-Gaskell syndrome). aorta, a potentially fatal condition that was corrected during a 12-hour operation in September. In a recent interview, Nazarian said he was told that he had a 50-50 chance of surviving the heart surgery, so he wrote a short will. For years he also has been unusually tall - now 6 feet 7 - another symptom of Marfan syndrome. ``You are much more noticeable. It takes a lot of emotions to deal with it,'' he said. ``I don't like social events because there is much more attention focused on you, and it becomes awkward.'' Cardiologist Arno Hohn with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , who has been treating Nazarian since childhood, is impressed by his patient's resilience. ``He has coped rather well, given his size sets him apart from other children, given his eye disability, given the fact he is in a single-parent family single-parent family Social medicine A family unit with a mother or father and unmarried children. See Father 'factor.', Latchkey children, Quality time, Supermom. Cf Extended family, Nuclear family, Two parent advantage. and has a very serious heart condition,'' Hohn said. The young man will enter Glendale Community College Glendale Community College can refer to one of two colleges in the United States.
 , Long Beach, in the fall. Inspired by his own lifelong battle with Marfan syndrome, he hopes eventually to become a psychiatrist or get a doctorate in psychology. ``I've seen what doctors can do. As amazing as it is now, medical advances haven't reached that far,'' he said. He looks back on recent years not as a period of darkness but as a time of enlightenment. ``I basically reached the unreachable skies and have experienced life at its greatest and its worst. I am thankful for life,'' he said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Kevin Nazarian, 18, struggling all his life with a rare genetic disorder requiring repeated surgery, will get his diploma from Hoover High today. With him is his mom, Janette Karabekyan. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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