Yerevan resident donates bone marrow stem cells to save the life of a patient in Canada
Facilitated by ABMDR, the cell-harvesting procedure
is the 37th in the history of the organization
Los Angeles, December 15, 2021 — On December 13, a Yerevan resident donated bone marrow stem cells to help save the life of a patient in Canada.
The donor was identified by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) as a perfect bone marrow match for the patient in Canada, who suffers from leukemia. The harvesting of the donor’s bone marrow stem cells, facilitated by ABMDR, was performed in the Armenian capital, with the intention of using them for an urgent transplant that could potentially save the patient’s life.
The painless, non-invasive harvesting of the donor’s stem cells was the 37th such procedure in ABMDR’s history. As soon as the harvesting was completed, the cells were flown to Canada with the help of a special courier. Present at the harvesting procedure were ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan and ABMDR Medical Director Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, among other lab-staff members.
Commenting on the process of harvesting a donor’s stem cells and delivering them for a life-saving transplant, Dr. Sevak Avagyan said, “Every link in the chain of medical professionals who relay the hope of life from hand to hand, from country to country, must work smoothly. This is when all borders are opened, people forget their nationality, and pursue a single goal: to deliver the precious donated stem cells as soon as possible for a chance to safe the life of a patient.”
