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ABMDR ON DONOR RECRUITMENT DRIVE IN ARTSAKH
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-10-08-abmdr-on-donor-recruitment-drive-in-artsakh-
Published: Monday October 08, 2012
A scene from the recruitment drive.
Los Angeles - The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) completed
its most significant Artsakh recruitment drive yet, registering close
to 750 university and college students as potential bone marrow stem
cell donors. Also recruited were several high-ranking officials and
faculty members.
The recruitment campaign, coordinated with Artsakh's Ministry of Health
and Ministry of Education and Science, comprised three separate drives
in Stepanakert during September 27 and 28. The events were held at
the campuses of the Mesrop Mashtots University, the Tamara Kamalyan
Stepanakert State Medical College, and the Stepanakert Agricultural
College.
The campaign was the fifth of its kind to be conducted in Artsakh since
the founding of ABMDR in 1999, encompassing the complementary goals
of outreach, education, and recruitment. The team of ABMDR leaders
and volunteers that traveled to Stepanakert for this purpose included
Dr. Frieda Jordan, president; Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director;
and Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, medical director.
"Throughout our drive, what we witnessed again and again among the
youth of Stepanakert was an extraordinary spirit of selflessness and
compassion," Dr. Jordan recalled. "These wonderful young men and women
were eager to learn about our cause, asked intelligent questions, and
felt proud to register as potential stem cell donors, in anticipation
of helping save someone's life. It was all truly awe-inspiring."
On September 27, the first recruitment was held at the Mesrop Mashtots
University, with hundreds of students as well as faculty and elected
officials in attendance. In his opening remarks, Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan
thanked the university, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry
of Education and Science for their instrumental role in organizing
the event.
Dr. Nazaretyan went on to describe the mission of ABMDR, presented
an informative DVD, and took questions from audience members. During
the recruitment that followed, 440 students, as well as Education and
Science minister Slavik Asryan and Artsakh State University rector
Stephan Dadayan, registered as potential stem cell donors.
The high level of enthusiasm among students and faculty was evident
throughout the next day, when recruitment drives were held at the
Tamara Kamalyan Stepanakert State Medical College and the Stepanakert
Agricultural College. The events at these smaller campuses resulted in
300 additional ABMDR recruits, including Tamara Kamalyan Stepanakert
State Medical College dean Karineh Kocharyan.
Volunteer recruiters at all three events included the family of a local
patient who urgently needs a donor match for a life-saving stem cell
transplantation. Many relatives of the patient traveled from their
village to Stepanakert in order to give blood for testing at ABMDR's
Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan.
The recruitment campaign received full local television and press
coverage, with the media praising ABMDR for its outreach efforts and
encouraging grassroots support of its activities.
On September 28, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Avagyan, accompanied by Zoya
Lazaryan, Artsakh's minister of Health, were received by President
Bako Sahakyan. The president congratulated the ABMDR leadership for
advancing a life-saving mission that benefits Armenians and other
ethnic groups across the world, and pledged his continued support of
the registry's work in Artsakh.
The ABMDR team also met with Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, primate
of the Artsakh Diocese. A longtime advocate of the ABMDR cause,
Archbishop Martirosyan commended the registry for its accomplishments
and once again gave it his blessings.
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps 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 22,000 donors in 16 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 13 bone
marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-10-08-abmdr-on-donor-recruitment-drive-in-artsakh-
Published: Monday October 08, 2012
A scene from the recruitment drive.
Los Angeles - The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) completed
its most significant Artsakh recruitment drive yet, registering close
to 750 university and college students as potential bone marrow stem
cell donors. Also recruited were several high-ranking officials and
faculty members.
The recruitment campaign, coordinated with Artsakh's Ministry of Health
and Ministry of Education and Science, comprised three separate drives
in Stepanakert during September 27 and 28. The events were held at
the campuses of the Mesrop Mashtots University, the Tamara Kamalyan
Stepanakert State Medical College, and the Stepanakert Agricultural
College.
The campaign was the fifth of its kind to be conducted in Artsakh since
the founding of ABMDR in 1999, encompassing the complementary goals
of outreach, education, and recruitment. The team of ABMDR leaders
and volunteers that traveled to Stepanakert for this purpose included
Dr. Frieda Jordan, president; Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director;
and Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, medical director.
"Throughout our drive, what we witnessed again and again among the
youth of Stepanakert was an extraordinary spirit of selflessness and
compassion," Dr. Jordan recalled. "These wonderful young men and women
were eager to learn about our cause, asked intelligent questions, and
felt proud to register as potential stem cell donors, in anticipation
of helping save someone's life. It was all truly awe-inspiring."
On September 27, the first recruitment was held at the Mesrop Mashtots
University, with hundreds of students as well as faculty and elected
officials in attendance. In his opening remarks, Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan
thanked the university, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry
of Education and Science for their instrumental role in organizing
the event.
Dr. Nazaretyan went on to describe the mission of ABMDR, presented
an informative DVD, and took questions from audience members. During
the recruitment that followed, 440 students, as well as Education and
Science minister Slavik Asryan and Artsakh State University rector
Stephan Dadayan, registered as potential stem cell donors.
The high level of enthusiasm among students and faculty was evident
throughout the next day, when recruitment drives were held at the
Tamara Kamalyan Stepanakert State Medical College and the Stepanakert
Agricultural College. The events at these smaller campuses resulted in
300 additional ABMDR recruits, including Tamara Kamalyan Stepanakert
State Medical College dean Karineh Kocharyan.
Volunteer recruiters at all three events included the family of a local
patient who urgently needs a donor match for a life-saving stem cell
transplantation. Many relatives of the patient traveled from their
village to Stepanakert in order to give blood for testing at ABMDR's
Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan.
The recruitment campaign received full local television and press
coverage, with the media praising ABMDR for its outreach efforts and
encouraging grassroots support of its activities.
On September 28, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Avagyan, accompanied by Zoya
Lazaryan, Artsakh's minister of Health, were received by President
Bako Sahakyan. The president congratulated the ABMDR leadership for
advancing a life-saving mission that benefits Armenians and other
ethnic groups across the world, and pledged his continued support of
the registry's work in Artsakh.
The ABMDR team also met with Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, primate
of the Artsakh Diocese. A longtime advocate of the ABMDR cause,
Archbishop Martirosyan commended the registry for its accomplishments
and once again gave it his blessings.
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps 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 22,000 donors in 16 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 13 bone
marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.