Photos: Anna Hakobyan and Dariga Nazarbayeva Visit Young Patients with Cancer and Blood Disorders

On November 15, Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Prime Minister of Armenia and the chairwoman of the boards of the "My Step" and "City of Smile" charitable foundations, welcomed Dariga Nazarbayeva, the Chairperson of the Senate of Kazakhstan, at the government residence. During breakfast, Nazarbayeva shared the details of her official visit to Yerevan, while Hakobyan presented the activities of her two foundations and the mission of the "Women for Peace" campaign. In memory of the meeting, Nazarbayeva gifted Hakobyan a piece of traditional Kazakh attire.

On the same day, Hakobyan and Nazarbayeva visited the Prof. R. Yolyan Blood Center. Accompanied by the center's director, Samvel Danielyan, and the executive director of the "City of Smile" foundation, Esther Demirchyan, they toured the facility and spoke with the children undergoing treatment and their parents. At the end of the visit, 9-year-old Lili Antonyan, who is being treated at the center, presented her painting titled "Four Seasons" to Nazarbayeva. Grateful for the gift, Nazarbayeva remarked that the bright colors in the painting indicated that the artist is optimistic and will recover quickly. "Happy people heal faster," Nazarbayeva stated.

Both Nazarbayeva and Hakobyan gifted musical instruments to the children and tested them out together. At the conclusion of the visit, the Chairperson of the Senate of Kazakhstan wished the little ones health, willpower, and success in achieving their goals. "I wish for your speedy recovery, for your dreams to come true, for you to become good people, and for your country to be proud of you," Nazarbayeva said.

The "City of Smile" foundation supports children and young adults up to 25 years old who are suffering from cancer and blood disorders. The foundation provides free medical treatment, medication, necessary medical interventions, daily meals, and social-psychological services to both cancer patients and their family members. Currently, the foundation is supporting 240 children and young adults with cancer and blood disorders.