Apil 25, 2014 — On April 25, the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) took part in a Yerevan commemorative event dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Organized by the Yerevan State Medical University, the commemoration, which was held on the university’s campus, raised public awareness of the Registry’s mission and comprised a donor-recruitment drive. ABMDR participated in the event with the slogan “Help Save a Life.”
The program included appearances by several speakers and a presentation about the Registry’s work, followed by a large-scale recruitment effort. By the conclusion of the event, 361 attendees, including students and members of the university’s faculty and administration, registered as potential bone marrow stem cell donors.
“The response has been absolutely wonderful,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR. “How moving and beautiful it is to see so many young people honor the memory of Genocide victims by registering as potential bone marrow stem cell donors, for a chance to help save a fellow Armenian’s life!”
Also during the program, the audience was familiarized with a recent ABMDR milestone, namely the advances the Registry has made in the harvesting and cryopreservation of cord-blood mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). As it was detailed during the presentation, in 2014 ABMDR has teamed up with Biostem of Greece to establish a cord-blood bank at the Registry’s Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan. Following the birth of a child, stem cells are harvested from his or her cord blood and subsequently preserved for the life of the subject, for potential utilization in autotransplantation and other life-saving procedures.
