Mannik Sakayan
UCLA Office of Government and Community Relations
(310) 794-0760 (phone)
(310) 794-6827 (fax)
msakayan@support.ucla.edu
December 17, 2004

[Reprinted from “UCLA Today” December 14, 2004]

Acts of kindness and compassion
Their giving spirit extends near and far

It’s become our holiday tradition at UCLA Today to recognize and
commend faculty and staff members who give selflessly of their talents
and time to help the less fortunate in their communities. This year’s
Bruin Angels, selected from departments across the campus, have
reached out to those near and far, from East Los Angeles to a town
in Armenia. As our thoughts this season turn to giving, we honor them.

ISHIYAMA and AKARAGIAN

Not many travelers pack surgical drills for their trips abroad, but
a UCLA medical team did just that twice this year – in March and
November – when they donated their time and services to travel to
Armenia to perform the region’s first cochlear-implant surgeries.

“It’s really so different from what we know here,” said surgeon
Akira Ishiyama, associate professor of head and neck surgery at the
David Geffen School of Medicine. “All of the infrastructure and the
machinery they have are so outdated.” Working with him to give seven
deaf children the gift of hearing were audiologist Stanton Jones,
anesthesiologist Denise Hawkins, surgical nurse Diane Sennott and nurse
Salpy Akaragian, director of the UCLA International Nursing Center.

The cross-cultural project was a few years in the making; team
members had to train their Armenian counterparts from the Erebouni
Medical Center.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit Armenian International Medical Fund raised
money to cover most of the expenses, including the purchase of
state-of-the-art screening equipment.

All the preparation and hard work paid off. “The whole country
was talking about these surgeries,” said Akaragian, who speaks
Armenian. “They called the project ‘Man-Made Miracles.’ ”

For Ishiyama, the experience was also a personal triumph. “These were
completely deaf people. [It’s] very rewarding that you can make them
hear,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in doing this.”

Akaragian echoes Ishiyama’s sentiments. “I will never forget
the parents’ emotional reaction when we told them the surgery was
successful,” she said. “I felt good about it. I feel like I have done
my deed in this world now.” – S.S.