A gift of hearing
Thanks to a generous gift from a vacation bible school group in Iowa, 7-year-old Arusik received two digital hearing aids. Arusik lives in Vanadzor city, Armenia, with her parents, two older sisters and one younger brother. This city suffered severe damage and thousands died during the 1988 earthquake, the effects of which are still seen today.
Arusik tries out her digital hearing aids. Photo by Eliza Minasyan"
Arusik and her family live in a run-down, one-bedroom apartment with broken windows and doors. They live on the eighth floor with an elevator that has been out of order for almost 10 years. All three sisters have serious hearing difficulties. Only the young brother can hear and speak well. The girls try very hard to interact with their peers, but since they cannot hear well, they cannot pronounce all the sounds accordingly, making it difficult to understand what they say.
In spite of all the challenges, they are enjoying their life within the walls of their poor but loving house with a caring mother and father, who struggle to provide everything it takes to make sure their children get proper education for the future.
With the digital hearing aids, Arusik hears almost perfectly. Her doctor says she will improve her ability to speak clearly very soon, which is very important for Arusik since she wants to become a teacher.
Eliza Minasyan
Country Director, Armenia
Jinishian Memorial Foundation
