ABMDR chapters established in Australia and UK
Published: Sunday June 24, 2012
Dr. Seda Boghosian, president of the Armenian Medical Association of
Great Britain; Dr. Frieda Jordan; Dr. Sevak Avagyan; and Armenian
Ambassador to the UK Karine Kazinian at the community forum in London.
Los Angeles – The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) further
expanded its ranks as it welcomed the Australia and United Kingdom
Armenian communities into its worldwide family of registered donors
and supporters.
At events held in Sydney and London, ABMDR leaders familiarized local
Armenian communities with the work of the registry, motivating scores
of community members, particularly the youth, to register as potential
bone marrow donors.
Also during their visits to Australia and England, ABMDR delegates
participated in two major international health conferences and a
workshop, during which the latest advancements in immunogenetics
research and treatment were discussed, and new connections were
established with delegates of various country registries.
Australian-Armenians mobilize around ABMDR cause
On the evening of May 3, ABMDR president Dr. Frieda Jordan and
executive director Dr. Sevak Avagyan spoke at a community gathering in
Sydney dedicated to the mission of the registry. The event, which drew
an audience of over 200, took place at the Edgarian Hall of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection.
Held under the auspices of Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the
Armenian Apostolic Church in Australia and New Zealand, and supported
by all local Armenian organizations, including the ARS Regional
Committee of Australia, the Church Council, the AGBU, and the three
Armenian political parties, the event was coordinated by Panos
Manjian, a member of Sydney’s Armenian community and a longtime friend
of ABMDR.
Following Panos Manjian’s welcome remarks, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Avagyan
took turns to familiarize the audience with the life-saving mission of
the registry. “Being a pan-Armenian organization, ABMDR has long
sought the involvement of the Australian-Armenian community in its
cause,” Dr. Jordan stated in her address. “Tonight, with the active
participation of your community, we are overjoyed to welcome Australia
as the 15th country in the roster of countries where ABMDR carries out
its work.”
The presentations of Dr. Jordan and Dr. Avagyan included the screening
of a documentary on the global mission and accomplishments of ABMDR.
The presentations were followed by a Q & A session. Afterwards
community members, including numerous young people and Father Avetis
Hambardzumyan, pastor of the church, joined the ranks of the registry
as potential bone marrow donors.
The Australian-Armenian community’s support of ABMDR also included a
donation to the registry by the Armenian College and Davidian Girls
School Ex Students Union, in the amount of U.S. $5,352.
Dr. Jordan thanked all community institutions for their active
support, and expressed her special gratitude to Panos Manjian, who had
also organized a press conference preceding the May 3 gathering and
featuring the ABMDR representatives. Held with the participation of
all local Armenian news publications and radio programs, the press
conference resulted in substantial media coverage of ABMDR’s
recruitment efforts in Sydney.
British-Armenian community embraces ABMDR cause
On June 2, the Armenian Medical Association of Great Britain (AMA-GB)
held a forum featuring Dr. Frieda Jordan and Dr. Sevak Avagyan. The
event, which took place at the Navasartian Centre Hall in London, was
organized on the occasion of the 16th International HLA and
Immunogenetics Workshop and Joint Conference, in which the ABMDR
delegates participated.
Following the opening remarks of Dr. Seda Boghosian, president of
AMA-GB, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Avagyan took turns to speak about the
accomplishments of ABMDR since its founding in 1999, as well as the
registry’s ongoing goals and future projects, including the
establishment of a transplantation center in Yerevan.
Subsequently the speakers and audience members had a lively discussion
about various aspects of the registry’s work. As scores of attendees,
including Karine Kazinian, Ambassador of Armenia to the United
Kingdom, joined the ranks of ABMDR, the event marked the start of the
British-Armenian community’s active participation in the work of the
registry, making the United Kingdom the 16th country on the list of
countries where the registry carries out its work. In order to help
expand ABMDR’s operational presence in the United Kingdom, Dr.
Boghosian volunteered to lead future recruitment efforts in London and
beyond.
“Today I join the British-Armenian community to commend the Armenian
Bone Marrow Donor Registry for its pan-Armenian mission of saving
lives,” Ambassador Kazinian said.
Participation in global health conferences
While in Sydney, the ABMDR delegation participated in the World Marrow
Donor Association’s Ninth International Donor Registry Conference,
from May 1 to May 5.
The conference, attended by established as well as emerging country
registries such as those of Russia and China, was dedicated to the
discussion of the latest research and developments in bone marrow stem
cell transplantation, and provided an opportunity for the exchange of
ideas between professionals in the field.
ABMDR has been a full member of the World Marrow Donor Association for
the past 12 years. At the conference in Sydney, Dr. Jordan and Dr.
Avagyan exchanged insights and compared professional experiences with
representatives of various registries. Noted at the conference was the
fact that ABMDR is among registries which have a large proportion of
young male bone marrow donors, considered a critical factor in donor
selection. Dr. Jordan said that ABMDR’s wide ratio of young male
donors has been achieved through persistent recruitment efforts,
particularly at military bases and universities across Armenia.
A delegation of ABMDR, comprising Dr. Jordan, Dr. Avagyan, and ABMDR
Laboratory supervisor Armine Huyssyan, also participated in the 16th
International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop and Joint Conference,
held in Liverpool. Organized jointly by the European Federation of
Immunogenetics (EFI) and the British Society for Histocompatibility
and Immunogenetics, the conference took place from May 28 to June 3.
The conference and workshop were dedicated to discussions of the
latest findings in the field of immunogenetics, as well as all vital
factors for the survival of bone marrow and solid organ transplants.
Participating in the HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop were all EFI
laboratory inspectors, including Dr. Jordan. Representing the Republic
of Armenia, Dr. Jordan is the first EFI inspector appointed to
represent a country in the Caucasus region.
In addition to advancing professional growth and expanding
participants’ knowledge base, the conference and workshop gave
attendees, including the ABMDR delegation, the opportunity to
reconnect and exchange ideas with old colleagues and meet new ones.
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 22,000 donors in 16 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 13 bone
marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-06-24-abmdr-chapters-established-in-australia-and-uk-
www.abmdr.am.