LOS ANGELES—A delegation from the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry on Tuesday visited Western Prelate Archbishop Kegham Khacherian in La Crescenta, California.
The ABMDR delegation comprised members of the organization’s Board, including Dr. Frieda Jordan, president; and Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director.
During the visit, the ABMDR Board members congratulated Archbishop Khacherian on his recent election as Prelate of the Western Prelacy and wished him success in all his endeavors.
The ABMDR representatives went on to familiarize the Archbishop with the registry’s latest achievements. These include ongoing medical and professional advancements made at the ABMDR Lab in Yerevan, and ABMDR’s significant enhancements of Armenia’s DNA-based medical technologies, resulting in vastly improved patient diagnosis, treatment, and overall survival.
In addition, the ABMDR representatives informed the Archbishop that important strides are being made thanks to the launch of NextGen, ABMDR’s dynamic youth group, which is dedicated to organizing outreach and donor recruitments on campuses and at other youth venues.
The ABMDR representatives also informed Archbishop Khacherian of a number of setbacks and challenges that have faced the organization in recent years, as a result of the devastating wars that have impacted Artsakh and Armenia, including the loss of numerous soldiers and officers who were ABMDR bone marrow donors.
Archbishop Khacherian commended ABMDR’s global operations and the fact that the pan-national organization is run entirely by volunteers. “Armenians everywhere should participate in the work of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, for a chance to save the lives of fellow Armenians,” he said.
As ABMDR Board members conveyed their resolve to continually expand the ranks of Armenian bone marrow donors worldwide, Archbishop Khacherian, on his part, pledged his strong support of ABMDR activities. In this respect, the Archbishop stated his commitment to helping raise community awareness of the ABMDR mission, hosting prayer days for ABMDR patients and families, and facilitating outreach and recruitment events.
“My colleagues and I are deeply grateful to Archbishop Khacherian for his enthusiastic support of our work,” Dr. Frieda Jordan said. “The support of our community is a vital component of the success of our pan-Armenian mission.”
Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 33,500 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 42 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the ABMDR website.
