{"id":658,"date":"2024-06-26T13:55:23","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T13:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/?p=658"},"modified":"2024-07-04T13:12:14","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T13:12:14","slug":"eduard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/eduard\/","title":{"rendered":"Eduard: Growing with Aregak"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Eduard: Growing with aregak<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Eduard, age 24, has been a part of the Aregak family since its first days in 2008. In the picture above, he was nine years old. When Aregak first opened, it was a daycare center for kids with disabilities that operated out of an old stone house in downtown Gyumri. It wasn\u2019t very comfortable or accessible, but it was filled with a lot of love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Eduard has severe cerebral palsy. When he was a little boy, he wasn\u2019t able to speak or communicate. Eduard was anxiously attached to his dad and didn\u2019t like to socialize with anyone else. He couldn\u2019t feed himself either.<\/p>


<\/p>

Eduard got older and so did Aregak. When he was 16 years old, Eduard got to participate in the grand opening of Emili Aregak Center, the state-of-the-art building that clothed the heart and soul of the original Aregak concept in beautiful wood and glass. <\/p>


<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

By that time, Eduard had learned to speak, communicate, socialize and serve himself. He built a network of friends from Aregak and his parents found a community of parents like themselves.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Now, Eduard can speak, communicate, socialize and serve himself. These are capacities he honed alongside our therapists and in group work, where children can practice social and life skills. In 2022, Eduard began to walk with the help of a walker, to go up and down the stairs and even climb the Swedish ladder. His progress in the past year has stunned us all.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\n<\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\n<\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Venera, Eduard\u2019s group leader, has known him for exactly 18 years. Venera says she was young and ignorant when she first met Eduard. She was a teenager volunteering with Faith & Light, an informal group of families of children with special needs that preceded Aregak.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Eduard and Venera have grown up together. For most of their journey, they have been side by side as good friends, but recently they\u2019ve become more than that \u2013 they\u2019re fellow goal-setters.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

For several years now, the pair have been setting goals for Eduard and meeting them one by one. Over the course of 2022, Venera and Eduard decided to work on conquering some of Eduard\u2019s physical difficulties and improving his posture.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

According to Venera, Eduard is modest and doesn\u2019t say much, but he\u2019s determined. She feels ashamed to be weak or depressed when she\u2019s with him.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cI don’t remember a time during our training when Eduard said he was tired or that he didn’t want to keep going,\u201d she shares. \u201cFor months I have been wiping the big drops of sweat off of his forehead with the greatest respect for him. I\u2019m so proud.\u201d<\/p>

\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

For three months now, together with Emili Aregak\u2019s new physiotherapist Gohar, Venera has been doing intensive stretching with Eduard. During one stretch, she was leaning on his leg with all her weight. (Venera, by her own admission, is not small!) Eduard said kindly: \u201cVenera, have you accidentally sat on my leg?\u201d<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cI like to work with Eduard, laugh with him, and come up with new, seemingly crazy plans,\u201d says Venera. \u201cAll this is also connected to his parents\u2019 unwavering dedication. I feel we have already won. Nothing is impossible if we set a goal and work toward it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Eduard\u2019s mom Osanna is so proud of Eduard\u2019s progress. She says it’s visible and obvious! Venera is constantly in touch with updates, and Osanna eagerly awaits her videos. She and Eduard\u2019s dad Alik even work at home on tasks that Gohar and Venera assign. Now that Eduard is able to walk on his own two feet, albeit slowly, the family has acquired a walker for him. He used to use only a wheelchair; now, he\u2019s upgraded devices!<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Bright, hopeful and warm in his own, special way, Eduard teaches us every day the magical art of fighting for what you want and rejoicing in each small step forward.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eduard: Growing with aregak Eduard, age 24, has been a part of the Aregak family since its first days in 2008. In the picture above, he was nine years old. When Aregak first opened, it was a daycare center for kids with disabilities that operated out of an old stone house in downtown Gyumri. It […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2.png",748,672,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2-300x270.png",300,270,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2.png",748,672,false],"large":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2.png",748,672,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2.png",748,672,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2.png",748,672,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eduard2.png",13,12,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"caritasaregak@gmail.com","author_link":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/author\/caritasaregakgmail-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Eduard: Growing with aregak Eduard, age 24, has been a part of the Aregak family since its first days in 2008. In the picture above, he was nine years old. When Aregak first opened, it was a daycare center for kids with disabilities that operated out of an old stone house in downtown Gyumri. It\u2026","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1643,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658\/revisions\/1643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caritasaregak.org\/arm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}