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The life of Hayk Torosyan, a former Artsakh soldier, turned around after the 2016 April war. An artillerist, Hayk was one of the first Armenian soldiers wounded during the four-day hostilities unleashed by the Azerbaijani military along the line of contact.

The soldier sustained a severe shrapnel injury in the head due to a mortar explosion, thus being unable to continue takeing part in the whole military operations.

He had served for three months in the Armenian army when the April flare-up began. He was serving in Artsakh’s Martakert region and was in the frontline positions on April 2. When preparing to fire from a cannon, a mortar exploded next to him, inflicting the soldier a penetrating shrapnel injury in the head, which caused a left-sided stroke.

Hayk Torosyan was transferred to the Central Clinical Military Hospital in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, where he woke up after remaining in come for 4 days, with doctors fighting day and night to save his life.

Speaking to Panorama.am, Hayk said that after recovering from a coma he did not realize what was going on, and only after seeing his family members did he understand what had actually happened.

Following long lasting treatments, Hayk clearly made up his mind not to lose hope and only move forward. “My life completely changed. I became more mature and began to reevaluate my life, appreciating all I had. The war also motivated us to move forward,” he says.
Hayk Torosyan is now studying at the Department of Social Work of the YSU Faculty of Sociology.

“If the April war had not broken out, I might have pursued a different profession, but I think this is the profession that, among other things, will allow me to help other people,” he said.

Hayk did not unveil his plans for the future, only expressing willingness to realize them. “I think there is a way out from any desperate situation. I consider continuing my rehabilitation treatment, finding a job, and, most importantly, getting married,” he said. “We must be useful to our country as much as we can.”