Beloved Animal Welfare Advocate and F&B Scenester Hospitalized, Crowdfund Started
Known for his warm smile, animal welfare work, dedication to wining and dining, and steadfast welcoming of a range of guests to various dinner parties and lively WeChat groups, Dikran Gullekian has unfortunately fallen upon much sadder times.
The Armenian-Lebanese expat was diagnosed with an abdominal aneurysm at the weekend and had to undergo emergency surgery, and is currently recovering in the ICU. His friends have started a crowdfund campaign, where they noted that Gullekian could accrue hospital bills up to RMB 300,000, adding, "Even though the surgery was a success, he's still lying in the ICU, unconcious, and in danger."
Longtime friend Rudy Karam has stayed by Gullekian's side throughout the ordeal, and he tells the Beijinger that Gullekia "really needs us, it's a very hard surgery."
Gullekian has made numerous friends like Karam in Beijing's animal welfare and foodie communities. His fellow animal lovers know him for bringing in many stray dogs and cats, his frequent WeChat posts about abandoned puppies and kittens that need new owners. Those that move in local F&B circles, meanwhile, are sure to readily recall seeing him out night after night at the hottest restaurants in town, cooking Lebanese eats for the various friends that he'd invite to dinner parties, selling that Middle Eastern fare at events like the recent Sanfine International Food Platter (for which he wore a handsome red fez), importing, selling and sharing high-end wines from Lebanon and beyond, and coordinating vibrant discussions and fun activities by founding the Beijing Social Club WeChat group, which has a fairly big following.
Among Gullekian's friends in the F&B community is David Connolly, cofounder of the Italian restaurant Bottega, who recalls how the enthusiastic foodie posed for a one of the promotional photos that the staff later used to adorn the venue's walls. "Dikran is a very kind person and the whole team at Bottega wishes him a smooth and speedy recovery."
Karam says many friends have expressed similar well wishes that emphasized Gullekian's kindness. "Anyone who knows him knows that he's a very generous guy. He's been so generous to so many of his expat friends, and has helped so many stray cats and dogs, anywhere he can help he's helped."
Karam met Gullekian through Beijing's tightly knit Lebanese community. "We’re both Lebanese, we’re not the same age, I’m 38 and quite a bit younger than him. But we have a lot in common – he’s a good-spirited, fun guy. I'm married and had a daughter here, he got me through China, gave me constant advice and support, because he's been here so long and knew how to help. And he's done similar things for so many friends."
Among those acts of kindness is Gullekian's treatment of stray cats, says Karam. "He adopted one yellow tabby named GinGin that mom got sick, he kept it and is taking care of her now."
Another friend, Yu "Carol" Wang says she first met Gullekia at a veterinarian clinic. She had brought a sick pet, and saw that Gullekian had brought in a stray kitten and was struggling to communicate with the receptionist. Yu approached to assist, and found out that he had found two sick strays in his backyard, and was able to catch one and bring it to the clinic, but was having trouble catching the other. She adds: "But the nurse couldn’t help him. I guess it is not allowed for the nurses to leave their work no matter what and asking a young girl to go to a stranger’s home was just too much. I thought my task was completed there, but Dikran didn’t give up. He just stood there, comforting the sick kitten with a gentle voice and trying to find another way around. With his eyebrows twisted like that, he looked very serious."
That prompted her to accompany Gullekian and help him catch the other kitten. "Maybe it was the way he talked to the kitten or his persistence made me think that man is trustworthy, but I guess deep inside, my guts just can tell he has a big heart filled with love and gentleness, even with that serious look on his face."
"That’s how I met Dikran. I don’t know if he thinks of me as his friend or not, maybe he doesn't even remember me, but he surely did change me," Yu says, adding: "Knowing there’s people like Dikran out there, just made this winter a little warmer."
To donate to Gullekian's crowdfunding page for Dikran, click here.
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
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Photos: Help Dikran Crowd Fund, Bottega
