He's the guy in the wheelchair. Years before I met him in 2004, he had been in a car accident. He was paralyzed from the waist down, and bed-ridden. He needed an operation to be able to sit up in a wheelchair because he had bed sores that didn't enable him to sit up. Not even in bed. We visited him while he layed flat on his back for months. Thankfully, a doctor came from the States to do some humanitarian work, and Armen got the surgery that he needed. He received a wheel chair and was later baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He serves as a branch president.
Meet Malcolm:
He's the guy standing next to Armen. Malcolm is actually the one who found Armen and taught him the gospel. I got to teach Armen's sister (in the picture with me on the left) and mom (standing next to Malcolm). After Malcolm returned home, he raised money to install an elevator in Armen's building (he lives on the 5th floor), build a wheelchair ramp, and widen the doorframes and hallways in his house. However, the money ran out before modifications could be made to the bathroom. Armen currently relies on his mother to help him perform all necessary bathroom-related functions. She is getting older, and cannot adequately help him.
Malcolm is raising money to help renovate Armen's bathroom. The money he collects will go towards making the bathroom wheelchair-accessible by widening the doorway and installing a new toilet and shower that can accommodate Armen and his wheelchair. The goal is $3,000.
If we can get 300 people to donate just $10, we will reach our goal. If you can help Armen, please make a donation through the GoFundMe website. All donations are made through Paypal, which is a very secure website. Also, you will get a donation receipt emailed to you from GoFundMe.
Thanks for meeting Armen. I have never met such a kind-hearted, patient, good person. I had an accident right before I met Armen that left me with a temporary limp. Armen didn't know that, and told Malcolm that he felt sorry for me because I had such an awful limp. The guy had been laying in bed for years and felt sorry for me and my limp. If you can donate to our cause, I think I can say that Armen thanks you from the bottom of his heart. And so do I.
3 comments:
I know this sounds like a bit of a silly question perhaps, but why didn't Armen and his family just move to the first floor of some apartment complex? Seems a lot easier than installing an elevator. Probably would have been a lot cheaper to find some family on the first floor and say, hey I'll give you $400 bucks to sawp apartments.
Well, the elevator is already installed. There was a shaft there already, and and elevator that didn't work. All they did was mostly fix the one that was already there. However, this is Armenia, where apartments aren't swapped or rented. They were given to families by the Soviet government, and stayed that way after the government's collapse. Even if Armen moved to the first floor, the apartment would still need to be renovated to accomodate his wheelchair.
Kyra- your amazing. Simply amazing. I've always looked up to you. Your love and Christ-like attitude inspire me to do more and BE better!
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