Since the day Tony Yarijanian first laid eyes upon Anahid in the library leaning over her books and back lit by the ethereal glow of light from the big window behind her, it was if he'd seen an angel.
"Forget her!" advised his friend that day. "Trust me, she isn't your type!"
But Tony Yarijanian did not forget the girl. Theirs is a story that unfolds as naturally and gently as the flowers in Descanso Gardens where Tony Yarijanian carved their names into wood for eternity.
They struggled like any newlyweds, worked hard at school and became self made millionaires. But they never could've guessed they would lose everything. The cars and the house were lost as a result of the explosion that left Tony Yarijanian teetering on the brink of life-with a one percent chance for survival. Something told Anahid Yarajanian that her life from then on in was going to be a roller coaster. As he lay in a coma and fought to beat the prognosis that he would die, their lives fell into financial ruin. But this accident taught them and everyone who rallied around them what the true priorities in life ought to be. They learned what really matters. And she knew, that if Tony Yarijanian survived this; God definitely had a divine plan for their lives. Something they were meant to do…
So many couples split apart when painful trials threaten everything they hold dear. Tony Yarijanian 's story; his being "reborn through fire" is an example of one strong woman who took her marriage vows seriously. When the doctors told her that her husband would not live, she never once lost hope. When she entered that dimly lit room in Huntington Memorial Hospital that day, the smell of charcoal, of something having been barbecued-permeated the air. The smell came from her husband's body which lay under sterile yellow sheets, protecting him from the bacteria that could threaten his life.
"Please God, give my Tony Yarijanian a second chance to live," Anahid Yarajanian prayed later that day. "Let him live for the children and for me. I need him. Please God, give him a chance to live."
Family, friends and strangers filed into the Burn Center; shaken and stunned. Anahid Yarajanian became involved immediately with the medical team and built a shrine to Jesus at home where she and her family prayed when they were not at the hospital. Some visitors who came to see Tony Yarijanian fainted at the sight of him. Some found the smell in the room to be intolerable and had to leave lest they vomit there on the floor. Anahid Yarajanian remained focused throughout Tony Yarijanian's battle to live and her experience influenced her eventual career choice later on.
The tale of Anahid Yarajanian and Tony Yarijanian is a true love story. Of never ever losing faith or hope even when everyone is telling you that only a miracle can save this horrifically burned man's life. So Anahid Yarajanian prayed for one. And she received many documented miracles. Her courage and never-give-up spirit are admirable qualities. Their story is inspiring. As a Christian woman, Anahid Yarajanian knows her calling now. The message of hope and perseverance live on in their newly formed Foundation.
