Armenian Youths Visit Disneyland : A Bit of Fantasy for Quake Victims

Eight victims of the earthquake in Soviet Armenia took a break from daily physical therapy Thursday and made a long-awaited trip to Disneyland, where they were amused, intrigued and at one point scared.

“I have never seen a place like this,” said Karen Barkisian, who suffered extensive injuries to both legs. “It’s incredible.”

The eight children, ranging in ages from 6 to 16, are part of a group of 14 who came to Los Angeles on March 21 for medical treatment. Half of the group went to Centinela Hospital Medical Center and half to Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.

All have received surgery and physical therapy for the injuries they sustained in the Dec. 7 earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.9 and killed an estimated 50,000 people.

The Soviet children smiled and laughed when they encountered Disney characters, but several got a scare while they viewed a short science-fiction film starring Michael Jackson, called “Captain Eo.” At one point in the film, there is an explosion and rocks begin to fall.

“It was a little frightening for them,” said Greg Tufenkian, a translator. “It was kind of a flashback effect with all the stuff falling.”

Five of the children are from the city of Leninakan, which had half of its industrial complexes, schools and apartment buildings turned into rubble. Six are from the small town of Spitak, which was completely destroyed.

One of those from Spitak is Armine Lambarian, 15, who was on a field trip to a garment factory when the quake hit.

Lambarian grabbed onto a sewing machine, but as the shaking intensified, she was thrown from a third-story window. Debris fell on her, crushing her leg, which she lost, and injuring her left arm.

Lambarian said she is very thankful for being able to come to the United States.

“I came here because they told me it was to make me better,” Lambarian said through an interpreter. “It was the best thing to happen to me.”