International2nd annual Nataline Sarkisyan memorial fashion show attracts hundreds
Published: Friday July 24, 2009
At the 2nd annual Nataline Sarkisyan memorial fashion show in Calabasas, Calif., July 18, 2009.
Calabasas, Calif. - When cancer was allowed to claim 17-year-old Nataline's Sarkisyan's life on December 20, 2007, her family vowed to change healthcare practices in the United States. They said they would stop for-profit insurance companies from being allowed to decide who gets to live and who gets to die.
On Saturday, nearly 500 people gathered to celebrate Nataline's legacy and the Sarkisyan family's 18-month healthcare-reform crusade at the second annual Nataline's Legacy Fashion Show.
"CIGNA insurance denied my daughter the liver transplant she needed after chemotherapy, and I lost her," said Nataline's tearful mother Hilda. "But I'm not going to let this go. . . . I don't want Nataline's death to be in vain."
Public pressure on CIGNA prompted the insurance company to overturn its denial of coverage to Nataline. The corporate giant had told the family that a liver transplant in this case was "experimental." When Nataline's family, her Armenian community, and her doctors and nurses complained, engaged the news media, and staged protests, CIGNA reversed its decision.
But CIGNA's reversal came too late. Nataline's embattled body was too weak to stay alive any longer. She died hours after CIGNA's change of mind and before the transplant could take place.
Global reaction to Nataline's death
Nataline was dead. Extinguished were her dreams to study fashion, design clothing, and to continue to serve in the Armenian Youth Federation. Gone were dreams of marriage, starting a family, launching a successful career, and touching thousands of lives.
"It was absurd to see and report that an insurance company could deny life and then change its mind when thousands spoke up," said Haik Tovmasyan, a Horizon TV anchorperson who attended the fashion show. "Nataline did not have to die. She should have been celebrating her 19th birthday today, attending fashion school, having fun, loving her friends and her family."
Reaction to Nataline's death echoed around the world. Network and cable news stations, newspapers, and radio broadcasts talked about Nataline's passing and the insurance-business decisions that the family blamed for her death. The California Nurses Association staged protests and lobbied for healthcare reform using Nataline's case as an example.
Nataline's story grabbed the attention of the John Edwards presidential campaign, which presented Nataline's mother at a dozen town hall meetings around the country. Mr. Edwards' goal was to put a face on what he considered to be the sick healthcare system in the United States.
CIGNA's decision even prompted a high-ranking company executive to resign. The CIGNA official who quit told CNN that CIGNA's decision about Nataline prompted him to walk away with disgust and pursue healthcare reform on Capitol Hill.
"Since we lost Nataline, at least a dozen families have called me to thank me," said Hilda. "Their kid or husband or they themselves were denied life-saving healthcare from their insurance company. So they brought up my Nataline's name. They evoked our case and spirit. That threat of media attention and public scorn that CIGNA received has already put insurance companies in fear, and we've saved a few precious lives."
Nataline lives through her friends and family
In turn and as a way to make peace with their loss, Nataline's friends organized the first fashion show a few months after her death last year at Mercedes-Benz of Calabasas.
"Nataline had an incredible sense of fashion. She drew. She wrote poetry. She was an artist," said Vartie Khatchatryan, one of Nataline's best friends. "The first fashion show was a way for us to say goodbye. It was a way to celebrate her. And it was so great that we decided we would do it every year on a weekend closest to her birthday."
Over the weekend, for the second year in a row, Nataline's Fashion Legacy attracted hundreds to the Mercedes dealership in Calabasas, where Nataline's father Koko works. Guests were entertained by live music, participated in a raffle for gifts, enjoyed an overflow of cold beverages, champagne, hors d'oeuvres, finger sandwiches, a variety of kebobs, a pink chocolate fondue fountain, cakes, desserts, and even a variety of Nataline's favorite treats, gummy bears and M&Ms.
The luxury cars in the glass-and-marble showroom had been cleared out to make room for two stages and the slew of tables to serve the food and drinks. On one stage was Ara Dabandjian's popular Element Band, which performed original and folk songs for nearly two hours. On the second stage, a runway, were Nataline's friends modeling casual and formal wear that Nataline would have worn or designed.
"We found drawings of 22 gowns in Nataline's room," said Nataline's mom Hilda. "My daughter wanted to go to the Fashion Institute of Design after she graduated from high school. And I know she would have done great. She had so much to give us, so much in her, and so much love for the world."
The culmination of the evening was the presentation of one of 22 dresses that Nataline had designed and meticulously sketched and colored on paper. Family friend and Armenian-American designer Pol Atteu was given one of Nataline's drawings and brought it to life as he had done last year. The colorful and classy gown brought tears to Nataline's mother's eyes and emotionally touched all those who had come to celebrate Nataline's legacy.
Star-studded high-fashion affair
Hosting the evening were the talented and beautiful web journalists from Hollyscoop.com, Ani Esmailian, Diana Magpapian, and Nora Gasparian. Also attending were popular Armenian folk singing stars Gor Mkhitarian and Karnig Sarkissian, whose revolutionary songs Nataline would listen to while studying or writing.
