ARMENIAN BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY TO HOST INAUGURAL TELETHON
ARMENPRESS
April 8, 2008
YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS: Through the efforts of scores of
dedicated volunteers, donors and organizers, the Armenian Bone Marrow
Donor Registry (ABMDR) will launch its "Be An Angel, Save A Life"
Campaign with a telethon on Sunday, April 13th. It is hoped that
the event will raise the necessary funds to establish a Stem Cell
Harvesting Center in Yerevan, Armenia.
The telethon will make a broad appeal to the public to provide the
final capstone funding for the project.
Initial funds have allowed the ABMDR to purchase a cell separator
instrument, and begin remodeling of the facility.
With additional contributions garnered from the telethon, the ABMDR
hopes to fully fund the Center which, when established, will bring
the life-saving procedure of stem cell transplantation within the
reach of many more patients with leukemia and other life-threatening
blood diseases, and will play a vital role in the treatment of other
diseases such as cancers, diabetes, and heart ailments.
The Center will also bring state-of-the-art medical and research
technology to Armenia, transforming Yerevan into a regional center
for stem cell harvesting and blood component separation, bringing not
only revenues from other countries in the region, but positioning the
Center as a vital and active player among international transplantation
centers worldwide.
Like the Registry itself, the Center will be internationally
accredited, opening new doors for global collaborations in medicine
and scientific research.
The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is the first and only
organization of its kind in the Caucasus region and was founded in
1999 as an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization
whose mission is to ensure that every ethnic Armenian struck with
a life-threatening blood-related illness is able to find hope for
long-term survival through the identification of a genetically suitable
bone marrow match.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
