Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Dr. Frieda Jordan, President <[email protected]>
3111 Los Feliz Blvd., Suite 206
Los Angeles, CA
Tel: 323-663-3609
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
March 14, 2007
Dr. Frieda Jordan
Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
To Establish Key Partnership with Dana Farber Cancer Center
Expands East Coast Recruitment
(Glendale, CA – March, 2007) – As part of its nationwide expansion efforts,
the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) board members discussed a
key collaboration with the Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston, which will
serve as the organization’s bone marrow and stem cell collection station for
donors on the East Coast.
Located in Boston and affiliated with Harvard University, the Dana Farber
Cancer Center is a prestigious, strategically located institution available
to the ABMDR in much the same way the world-renowned City of Hope Hospital
serves the organization on the West Coast. Like City of Hope – which has
provided facilities for collecting ABMDR donor stem cells for patients in
the Los Angeles area – the Dana Farber Cancer Center’s East Coast donors
will be able to conveniently go to this regional center.
While operating a laboratory with highly specialized services in DNA tissue
typing in Yerevan, the ABMDR depends on other institutions for stem cell
harvesting and delivery. Although the non-intrusive operation itself takes
only a few hours, the donor is given medication to accelerate his/her stem
cell generation and needs to be under medical observation for two weeks. The
future collaboration with Dana Farber Cancer Center will greatly streamline
ABMDR operation in the East Coast and provide greater convenience to the
donors.
Richard Boyajian, nurse practitioner at Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult
Survivorship Clinic at the Dana Farber Center, well knows the importance of
making the process leading up to a life-saving transplant as smooth as
possible: Mr. Boyajian is a bone marrow recipient and cancer survivor.
ABMDR President Dr. Frieda Jordan and Board Member Alvart Badalian were
delighted to learn of his interest in helping to promote the project at his
institution, and among its constituents.
In addition, while in Boston, Dr. Jordan attended an urgent donor
recruitment for patient Steve Keshishian , on Februrary 25th at the Armenian
Memorial Church in Watertown, MA organized by Steve’s Godmother, Nora
Orchanian and her family. With the support of Rev. Avedis Boynerian the
drive was a great success and resulted in recruiting over 50 new donors. "We
are grateful to everyone who helped spread the word around, the ABMDR
volunteers, our parish members, and especially to the individual donors
today. We hope and pray that we will soon find a match for our dear Steve".
Stated, Mrs. Orchanian. State Representative and chairman of Joint
Committee on Public Health, Peter Koutoujian, was among those who became a
donor on Sunday. An avid supporter of the ABMDR, Koutoujian made an
emotional appeal for supporting the life-saving work of the ABMDR.
Steve is one of 630 patients identified by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor
Registry (ABMDR) who are suffering from leukemia and other blood-related
diseases throughout the Diaspora and Armenia desperately waiting to find a
matching donor to help save their lives. A key method of treating people
with life-threatening blood diseases is through bone marrow/stem cell
transplants from a donor. Each donor’s blood or mouth swab sample is tested
to see if there is a genetically suitable match for a patient in need. In
order to treat Armenian patients, bone marrow transplants require compatible
tissue types that match the genetic makeup of the patient, which is most
likely to come from other Armenian donors.
Mrs. Orchanian was concerned that few people would show up to become donors,
but Dr. Jordan provided reassurance, stating, "Even one committed donor is
very valuable to the cause." Observing people at her church opening their
mouths for the simple mouth swab from the inside of their cheek that will
undergo DNA testing to see if there is a match for Steve and other
identified patients in need, Mrs. Orchanian was, indeed, overwhelmed by the
response.
The donors’ data from the recruitment drive will be added to the 12,000
already in the ABMDR database, from which matches for Steve and other
patients can be identified.
Those who wish to learn more about the Registry may contact ABMDR President
Dr. Frieda Jordan at 3111 Los Feliz Blvd., Suite 206, Los Angeles, CA; by
calling (323) 663-3609; or e-mailing [email protected] or
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] . The website for the
Registry is <; .