Dr. Akira Ishiyama, originally from Japan, calls Armenia his second home. In 2004, he began visiting Armenia to perform the most advanced cochlear ear implant surgeries on young deaf children, pro bono. Dr. Ishiyama’s spirit of volunteerism drives his humanitarian work in Armenia.
“Though Japan and Armenia are geographically separated, I was so surprised to see how similar we are,” said Dr. Ishiyama. “The resilience of the Armenian people and that of the Japanese are so similar.”
According to Dr. Ishiyama, “surgeons have a short window of [the first] three and half years of a child’s life to perform the surgery, because that is when the child learns to speak.”
Among recognitions Dr. Ishiyama has received include several Humanitarian Awards and Gold Medals from the Armenian Government, the Ministry of Health, and the Armenian Ministry of Diaspora. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University School of Medicine. Currently, he is the director and professor of the Head and Neck Surgery Department at the University of California, Los Angeles.
- Dr. Akira Ishiyama
- Dr. Ishiyama with nurses, as well as a patient and their moither
Dr. Ishiyama will be the guest speaker of a Zoom discussion hosted by the Rotary Club of Glendale. The Zoom session will be held on November 18 at noon. For the last 17 years, Dr. Ishiyama has visited Armenia 23 times to bring the “World of Sound” to more than 150 deaf children and young adults. He is excited to share his experiences while working in Armenia with a larger audience.
Registration is free. Those who are interested in participating, please contact Glendale Rotary Club President Angela Berberyan at [email protected].
The Rotary Club of Glendale is a part of Rotary International, the first international service organization, founded in 1905 in Chicago. There are more than 1.2 million Rotary members in 200 countries and regions. The Rotarians are people of action who solve problems in their local communities and around the world. For more information, please visit the Glendale Rotary Club website or the Rotary International website.