Carolann Najarian to Present ‘Avedis’ Story’ at NAASR

BELMONT, Mass.—Dr. Carolann Najarian will present a talk entitled, “Telling Avedis’ Story: An Armenian-American’s Journey into Her Father’s Saga of Survival,” on Thurs., Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center, 395 Concord Ave. in Belmont.

The cover of Avedis' Journey — The cover of Avedis’ Journey

Najarian recently published her father’s memoir, Avedis’ Story: An Armenian Boy’s Journey (Gomidas Institute). The memoir was originally recorded on tape by the late Avedis Abrahamian and then prepared for publication by Najarian. The memoir has three main elements: early childhood in Sheykh Hadji (modern-day Yukarı Bag) in the Kharpert plain; the Armenian Genocide and escape to Russia through the Dersim mountains, then life during the Russian Revolution and its aftermath in the Caucasus; and putting down roots in America.

Najarian spent the major part of her medical career in private practice in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass. In 1988, after Armenia’s devastating earthquake, she spearheaded medical relief efforts to that country. As president of the Armenian Health Alliance, Inc., she made more than 50 trips to the region to deliver medical aid to the destroyed region. Najarian earned her M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine (1980), and an M.Sc. in medical anthropology from Brunel University, London (2004). Her first book, A Call From Home; Armenia and Karabagh, My Journal (1999), chronicles her experiences and the people she met in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh.

Najarian is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (1999) and the Humanitarian Award of the Boston University School of Medicine Alumni Association (2004). She and her husband, George, have endowed the Najarian Human Rights Lecture held each year at Faneuil Hall in conjunction with the Armenian Heritage Foundation and Park.

For more information, contact NAASR by calling (617) 489-1610 or e-mailing hq@naasr.org.