ARMENIAN MARROW DONOR VAHE VARDANYAN HELPS SAVING LIFE OF 5-YEAR-OLD
ITALIAN BOY SUFFERING LEUCAEMIA

YEREVAN, JULY 15. ARMINFO. Italian Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Marco Klemente thanked 22-year-old Armenian
marrow donor Vahe Vardanyan who help saving the life of a 5-year-old
Italian boy suffering leucaemia.

Talking to journalists, Executive Director of the Armenian Charitable
Fund of Marrow Register Sevan Avagyan said that since the register’s
foundation in 1999, it is the third case of marrow
transplantation. The register contains data on 8,223 donors, who in
their turn were included in the register of the International Marrow
Donors Orgnaization. Some 300 people suffering leucaemia or leucosis
have already applied to the Armenian register. It should be noted that
the International register contains data on 8 million donors from 52
marrow registered world wide.

Avagyan said that by the end of the year, the number of donors from
Armenia is expected to reach 10 thousands. He said up-to-date medical
technologies allow medics to take the necessary cells from blood of
donors and not directly from marrow. As Armenia has no center for
marrow transplantation, Armenian donors leave abroad themselves,
Avagyan said, adding that the country’s public Health Ministry takes
steps to establish a similar center in Armenia. He said that the only
problem is lack of funds for purchase of up-to-date equipment, it
should be noted that the register operates due to charitable funds and
First Lady of Armenia Bella Kocharyan is its Honorable President.