Guest Posted December 31, 2000 Report Share Posted December 31, 2000 Armenian Bone Marrow Register Established YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)--On December 28, Honorary President of the Benevolent Fund, Armenia's first lady Bella Kocharian opened a center that will be engaged in determining gene profiles of prospective marrow donors. "We have been involved in this work since June 1999, and we have finally succeeded. We have an excellent laboratory for practical work," Bella Kocharian said. She also expressed optimism that these activities will result in great contributions to genetics studies. The center is provided with modern equipment by means of which specialists will be able to separate DNA from donors' blood and determine the set of antigens characteristic to each DNA. The profile of antigens is used in determining the compatibility of the DNA of donors and recipients during marrow transplantation. The goal of the Armenian Marrow Register is the unification of the qualities of gene profile of Armenians around the world, as the Armenian ethnos, like other ancient ethnoses, has a specific DNA set. Deputy Minister of Health Nune Mangasarian said that from this point of view, the center will unite Armenians from all over the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 18, 2001 Report Share Posted February 18, 2001 Preparing to save lives Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry project recruitment office set to open at Glendale Memorial. By CLAUDIA PESCHIUTTA GLENDALE -- The office will be a small one. Nothing special, a few desks, chairs, some medical equipment. But a few minutes spent in this office could save someone's life. The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust is set to open its second donor recruitment center next week in a donated space in the Glendale Memorial Hospital Cancer Center. "We're going to ask the people in Los Angeles, especially in the Glendale area, to come forward and become our donors," said Dr. Frieda Jordan, a Glendale resident and co-founder of the charitable trust. The project seeks to find bone marrow donors who match the specific needs of Armenians worldwide with leukemia and other blood-related diseases. "We think it's a great cause," hospital President Arnold Schaffer said. "Since we serve a large number of Armenians, it's a great opportunity for us to help that community worldwide." Founded in 1999, the project raised enough money to open a tissue-typing laboratory in December in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Glendale Memorial, which is backing the project, donated materials for the facility, Jordan said. "We wanted to start this operation as soon as possible because every day counts and we are losing patients' lives," she said. Since the opening of the laboratory in Armenia, 100 people have been placed on the donor registry, Jordan said. As of Monday, no known matches had been found. The recruitment center at Glendale Memorial and a tissue-typing laboratory at Foundation Laboratories in Glendora will open Tuesday with ceremonies featuring Armenia's first lady, Bella Kocharyan. An honorary chairwoman of the trust and the registry's first donor, Kocharyan is also expected to attend a series of fund-raisers in the area this month to help raise money for the project. The project's goal is to register 10,000 potential Armenian bone marrow donors by 2004, Jordan said. "It is very important for Armenians [to participate] because we are genetically unique. There is not other ethnic group that can help us," she said. "If we cannot help ourselves, nobody else can." HOW TO HELP * WHAT: Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust. * INFO: The trust seeks has established a registry of bone marrow donors to meet the specific needs of Armenians with leukemia and other blood-related diseases. * DONATIONS: Checks should be made out to the Armenian Bone Marrow Project and sent to the trust at 347 W. Stocker St., No. 208, Glendale, CA 91202. * CONTACT: For more information, e-mails can be sent to: frieda.jordan@att.net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anoushik Posted September 12, 2004 Report Share Posted September 12, 2004 Looking through the Komitas Quartet's website posted in Nairi's thread I came to the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry site posted in their links. I must've been very ignorant not to know about this project and now I have the overwhelming urge to go and register today. Except that I can't because it's a weekend. In LA you can register in the Glendale Memorial Hospital, Monday through Friday, from 9am - 5pm. Have any of you registered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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