On May 25, Tempo told the saga of a courageous officer in the Armenian army, Mkhitar (pronounced MUHK-ee-tahr) Tizian, 22, who lost his sight and hands in the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics.
Accompanied by his brother, Vartan, 20, Mkhitar came to Chicago in February to undergo surgery and rehabilitation that will enable him to live independently. One operation transplanted a toe from his right foot to his right forearm, his new hand giving him the dexterity to write, eat and dress himself.
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On June 17, the brothers were granted their request to be baptized, a sacrament they were denied by the Soviet Union’s strictures against religion.
Officiating at the Armenian All Saints Apostolic Christian Church in Glenview were Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian of New York City, the denomination’s U.S.-Canadian prelate, and Rev. Shahe Panossian, church pastor. The brothers’ godparents were Dr. Levon Topouzian, a Chicago surgeon who coordinated Mkhitar’s treatment, and his wife, Nancy.
Afterward, 250 people attended a church banquet featuring Armenian dishes, songs and dances and honoring the medical miracle-workers who donated their services.
In praising them and the three institutions with which most are affiliated-Weiss Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago-the archbishop said, “Their generosity inspires us and reminds us that there is much good in the world, that everything is not bad, dirty, ugly.”
Speaking in Armenian, Mkhitar said, “I was born in Armenia, but I was born again in America. One day I will be a man you will be proud of.”
He concluded his remarks in halting English: “Thank you very much, American people. God bless you. I love American people. I love America.”