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Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]
ABMDR Gala marks major milestones in life-saving mission
Annual celebration attended by hundreds of supporters,
including elected officials and healthcare leaders
Los Angeles, July 28, 2013 - Hope of Life, the 14th annual Gala of the
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), took place on the night of
July 14 at the Glendale Hilton, in Glendale, California. The highly
anticipated community event celebrated major milestones that were
reached throughout the past year, and honored many individuals and
establishments for their outstanding support of the registry's cause.
Over 400 attended Hope of Life, which kicked off with a cocktail hour
and silent auction in the foyer and terrace of the hall.
The evening's main program began with the opening remarks of Tatevik
Ekezian Madjarian, who acknowledged the presence of numerous
dignitaries, elected officials, and healthcare leaders. They included
Arch. Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese; Joseph Matossian,
Minister of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Father
Vazken Atmajian, representing Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian of the Western
Prelacy; California State Senator Carol Liu; representatives of
Congressman Adam Schiff, State Assemblyman Mike Gatto, and Los Angeles
County Supervisor Michael Antonovich; Glendale City Councilman Zareh
Sinanyan; Glendale Unified School District president Greg Krikorian;
Glendale Memorial Hospital president Jack Ivie and vice-president of
Business Development David Mauss; Glendale Memorial Health Foundation
vice-president Wayne Herron; Dr. Stuart Siegel and Dr. Neena Kapoor of
Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, Professor at
the Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, and Dr.
Arpenik Avagyan; and, representing the event's major sponsors, Ramella
Markarian and Peter Baker of Glendale Adventist Medical Center, and Mike
Sarian of Prime Healthcare Services.
Tatevik Ekezian Madjarian also welcomed representatives of several
community organizations, including the Armenian-American Medical
Society, Armenian Nurses Association, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian
Cycling Association, and Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce, as well
as Chamlian School principal Vazken Madenlian.
Next to take the podium was Gala chairperson Naz Atikian, who thanked
the attendees for their `unflinching support, year after year.' `We
are here today because of you,' Atikian said.
As he took the stage following Atikian's address, Master of Ceremonies
and ABMDR Board of Directors chair Mark Geragos, Esquire, cast a glance
at the history of the registry. `It's truly amazing that this
organization started off with only a handful of donors 14 years ago,'
he said. `Today it has over 24,000 potential bone marrow donors in 18
countries. Growth of this scale has been made possible by not only
relentless hard work, but also the extraordinary vision of the woman I'm about to introduce, Dr. Frieda Jordan, who is the heart and soul of
ABMDR.'
After being greeted with a standing ovation, Dr. Jordan began her
address by reflecting on the evening's theme. `Hope of Life: yes,
there is no better way to describe the work we do,' she said.
`Each of you who has volunteered time and expertise at a recruitment
drive, or helped organize fundraising events, well knows that striving
to save lives, with precious time ticking away, is hard and stressful
work,' Dr. Jordan continued. `But we do what is hard for one reason:
to make it easier on our patients and their families, who bear such
physical and emotional pain. I reflect on this moment with gratitude,
and thank you all for making what we do a little easier.'
Next Dr. Jordan recognized the 2013 ABMDR Award recipients and the
evening's major sponsors, Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Prime
Healthcare Services. She also conveyed her gratitude to the registry's
Lifetime Supporters; the Western Diocese for ongoing outreach support;
His Holiness Karekin II for conferreing on her the St. Nerses the
Graceful Medal; and the registry's numerous volunteers, benefactors,
committee chairs, and the staff of the ABMDR Stem Cell Harvesting Center
in Yerevan for advancing the organization's cause.
Before concluding her remarks, Dr. Jordan announced that in September
2012 the registry held its first-ever Walkathon on the East Coast, in
Boston, and thanked the Kardashian family for helping raise public
awareness of the ABMDR mission, as well as the Armenian Cyclist
Association for dedicating its most recent annual bike ride to raising
funds for the registry.
Afterwards Dr. Jordan invited to the podium Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive
director of ABMDR and head of its Stem Cell Harvesting Center.
`When people ask about the evolution of ABMDR, we often respond with
numbers,' Dr. Avagyan said. `To date, we tell them, the registry has
recruited over 24,000 donors in 18 countries across four continents,
identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone marrow transplants.
But our fight to find life-saving donor-patient matches is not merely
about numbers. As importantly, we continue to increase the quality of
the services we provide for patients. Thus, for instance, we have made
significant enhancements to our Stem Cell Harvesting Center; we have
purchased equipment and provided training for Armenia's - and the
Caucasus region's - first auto-transplantation procedure; we have
adopted a new test with allows us to gauge a patient's sensitivity to
chemotherapy drugs; and we have begun to implement immunophenotyping,
which is a major step forward for Armenia in blood-disease diagnostics,
prediction, and treatment.'
Subsequently Dr. Jordan invited this year's honorees to the stage. The
Woman of the Year and Man of the Year Award were bestowed on Amy
Boyadjian and Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, respectively; the Volunteer of the
Year Awards were bestowed on Hilda Gourdikian and Harmik Baghdasarian;
the Armenian-American Medical Society (AAMS) of California and its
Ladies' Auxiliary Committee received the Organization of the Year
Award, with AAMS president Dr. Vicken Sepilian and Ladies' Auxiliary
Committee chair Ramella Markarian accepting the award; the ABMDR Comedy
Night Committee was named Team of the Year; and Children's Hospital
Los Angeles received the Establishment of the Year Award, which was
accepted by Dr. Stuart Siegel and Dr. Neena Kapoor.
In 2012, Drs. Siegel and Kapoor were instrumental in providing vital
physician trainings to help ABMDR create the necessary infrastructure
and skill base for starting to perform autotransplantation procedures in
Armenia.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Siegel said, `I have never seen an
organization, such as ABMDR, come together so rapidly, identify a
mission so clearly, and make it happen. You all deserve a tremendous
amount of applause for doing something that I don't think I've seen
any organization pull off so impressively.'
In addition to the main awards, special plaques were bestowed on
Glendale Adventist Medical Center, accepted by vice-president of
Business Development Peter Baker; Mike Sarian of Prime Healthcare
Services; Arpine Zohrabyan, who has helped save a child's life by
becoming a matched bone marrow stem cell donor; and Andrew Nazarian, a
high-school senior who had a key role in the realization of the Armenian
Cycling Association's bike ride benefiting ABMDR - the 136-mile
Glendale-to-San Diego ride, called `Cycle for Life,' raised close to
$10,000.
During the award ceremony, Tatevik Ekezian Madjarian read a letter of
congratulation by patient Cici, and accepted a plaque of recognition on
her behalf.
Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to spirited
performances by violinist Allen and singer Arthur (known as Mr. X).
The Gala drew to a close with the announcement of this year's ABMDR
lottery winners.
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 24,000 donors in 18 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone
marrow transplants.
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]
ABMDR Gala marks major milestones in life-saving mission
Annual celebration attended by hundreds of supporters,
including elected officials and healthcare leaders
Los Angeles, July 28, 2013 - Hope of Life, the 14th annual Gala of the
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), took place on the night of
July 14 at the Glendale Hilton, in Glendale, California. The highly
anticipated community event celebrated major milestones that were
reached throughout the past year, and honored many individuals and
establishments for their outstanding support of the registry's cause.
Over 400 attended Hope of Life, which kicked off with a cocktail hour
and silent auction in the foyer and terrace of the hall.
The evening's main program began with the opening remarks of Tatevik
Ekezian Madjarian, who acknowledged the presence of numerous
dignitaries, elected officials, and healthcare leaders. They included
Arch. Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese; Joseph Matossian,
Minister of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Father
Vazken Atmajian, representing Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian of the Western
Prelacy; California State Senator Carol Liu; representatives of
Congressman Adam Schiff, State Assemblyman Mike Gatto, and Los Angeles
County Supervisor Michael Antonovich; Glendale City Councilman Zareh
Sinanyan; Glendale Unified School District president Greg Krikorian;
Glendale Memorial Hospital president Jack Ivie and vice-president of
Business Development David Mauss; Glendale Memorial Health Foundation
vice-president Wayne Herron; Dr. Stuart Siegel and Dr. Neena Kapoor of
Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, Professor at
the Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, and Dr.
Arpenik Avagyan; and, representing the event's major sponsors, Ramella
Markarian and Peter Baker of Glendale Adventist Medical Center, and Mike
Sarian of Prime Healthcare Services.
Tatevik Ekezian Madjarian also welcomed representatives of several
community organizations, including the Armenian-American Medical
Society, Armenian Nurses Association, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian
Cycling Association, and Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce, as well
as Chamlian School principal Vazken Madenlian.
Next to take the podium was Gala chairperson Naz Atikian, who thanked
the attendees for their `unflinching support, year after year.' `We
are here today because of you,' Atikian said.
As he took the stage following Atikian's address, Master of Ceremonies
and ABMDR Board of Directors chair Mark Geragos, Esquire, cast a glance
at the history of the registry. `It's truly amazing that this
organization started off with only a handful of donors 14 years ago,'
he said. `Today it has over 24,000 potential bone marrow donors in 18
countries. Growth of this scale has been made possible by not only
relentless hard work, but also the extraordinary vision of the woman I'm about to introduce, Dr. Frieda Jordan, who is the heart and soul of
ABMDR.'
After being greeted with a standing ovation, Dr. Jordan began her
address by reflecting on the evening's theme. `Hope of Life: yes,
there is no better way to describe the work we do,' she said.
`Each of you who has volunteered time and expertise at a recruitment
drive, or helped organize fundraising events, well knows that striving
to save lives, with precious time ticking away, is hard and stressful
work,' Dr. Jordan continued. `But we do what is hard for one reason:
to make it easier on our patients and their families, who bear such
physical and emotional pain. I reflect on this moment with gratitude,
and thank you all for making what we do a little easier.'
Next Dr. Jordan recognized the 2013 ABMDR Award recipients and the
evening's major sponsors, Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Prime
Healthcare Services. She also conveyed her gratitude to the registry's
Lifetime Supporters; the Western Diocese for ongoing outreach support;
His Holiness Karekin II for conferreing on her the St. Nerses the
Graceful Medal; and the registry's numerous volunteers, benefactors,
committee chairs, and the staff of the ABMDR Stem Cell Harvesting Center
in Yerevan for advancing the organization's cause.
Before concluding her remarks, Dr. Jordan announced that in September
2012 the registry held its first-ever Walkathon on the East Coast, in
Boston, and thanked the Kardashian family for helping raise public
awareness of the ABMDR mission, as well as the Armenian Cyclist
Association for dedicating its most recent annual bike ride to raising
funds for the registry.
Afterwards Dr. Jordan invited to the podium Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive
director of ABMDR and head of its Stem Cell Harvesting Center.
`When people ask about the evolution of ABMDR, we often respond with
numbers,' Dr. Avagyan said. `To date, we tell them, the registry has
recruited over 24,000 donors in 18 countries across four continents,
identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone marrow transplants.
But our fight to find life-saving donor-patient matches is not merely
about numbers. As importantly, we continue to increase the quality of
the services we provide for patients. Thus, for instance, we have made
significant enhancements to our Stem Cell Harvesting Center; we have
purchased equipment and provided training for Armenia's - and the
Caucasus region's - first auto-transplantation procedure; we have
adopted a new test with allows us to gauge a patient's sensitivity to
chemotherapy drugs; and we have begun to implement immunophenotyping,
which is a major step forward for Armenia in blood-disease diagnostics,
prediction, and treatment.'
Subsequently Dr. Jordan invited this year's honorees to the stage. The
Woman of the Year and Man of the Year Award were bestowed on Amy
Boyadjian and Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, respectively; the Volunteer of the
Year Awards were bestowed on Hilda Gourdikian and Harmik Baghdasarian;
the Armenian-American Medical Society (AAMS) of California and its
Ladies' Auxiliary Committee received the Organization of the Year
Award, with AAMS president Dr. Vicken Sepilian and Ladies' Auxiliary
Committee chair Ramella Markarian accepting the award; the ABMDR Comedy
Night Committee was named Team of the Year; and Children's Hospital
Los Angeles received the Establishment of the Year Award, which was
accepted by Dr. Stuart Siegel and Dr. Neena Kapoor.
In 2012, Drs. Siegel and Kapoor were instrumental in providing vital
physician trainings to help ABMDR create the necessary infrastructure
and skill base for starting to perform autotransplantation procedures in
Armenia.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Siegel said, `I have never seen an
organization, such as ABMDR, come together so rapidly, identify a
mission so clearly, and make it happen. You all deserve a tremendous
amount of applause for doing something that I don't think I've seen
any organization pull off so impressively.'
In addition to the main awards, special plaques were bestowed on
Glendale Adventist Medical Center, accepted by vice-president of
Business Development Peter Baker; Mike Sarian of Prime Healthcare
Services; Arpine Zohrabyan, who has helped save a child's life by
becoming a matched bone marrow stem cell donor; and Andrew Nazarian, a
high-school senior who had a key role in the realization of the Armenian
Cycling Association's bike ride benefiting ABMDR - the 136-mile
Glendale-to-San Diego ride, called `Cycle for Life,' raised close to
$10,000.
During the award ceremony, Tatevik Ekezian Madjarian read a letter of
congratulation by patient Cici, and accepted a plaque of recognition on
her behalf.
Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to spirited
performances by violinist Allen and singer Arthur (known as Mr. X).
The Gala drew to a close with the announcement of this year's ABMDR
lottery winners.
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 24,000 donors in 18 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone
marrow transplants.