Therapists for Armenia: Bridging the gap with services, training and equipment in Armenia
Proving Saroyan’s famous saying true about the power of Armenians to rebuild, a chance meeting over gumbo between two Armenians in New Orleans has grown into an international movement felt half a world away in the rehabilitation hospitals of Yerevan. Armineh Babikian and Alissa Bonjuklian realized how much they have in common over lunch while taking a break from presenting research and attending lectures at the 2019 American Occupational Therapy Association annual conference. They swapped stories about their experiences traveling to Armenia to provide necessary rehab services and helping to raise awareness of the field of occupational therapy, a form of therapy using exercises or strategies with the intent of enabling people to regain the ability to accomplish necessary tasks for daily life.