FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Armenian Prelacy of Canada
3401 Olivar Asselin
Montreal, Quebec H4J 1L5
Contact Name: Dania Ohanian
Phone: (514) 856-1200
E-mail: [email protected]
85 People Register as Donors at the Armenian Prelacy of Canada Bone Marrow
Drive
Montreal (Qc)_ 85 donors registered in the Armenian Bone Marrow Project
organized jointly by the Armenian Prelacy of Canada and the Armenian Bone
Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) during the first weekend of December.
The youngest clergy member, Rev. Fr. Karnig Koyounian, Pastor of Sourp Hagop
Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, was one of the first people to provide a
sample of blood for the Bone Marrow Project.
Armenian Prelacy of Canada Executive Council and Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) Canada Central Committee members also participated in the
drive, as well as school officials and members of the Montreal and Laval
chapters of the ARF Youth Organization Committee of Canada and Homenetmen
Gamk (the scouting and athletic organization).
The Bone Marrow Project is a mission of crucial importance, which was put
into place to ensure that every Armenian (and others) struck with leukemia
or other blood related diseases have the hope of finding a genetically
suitable match for a bone marrow transplant, which often is the only and
final life-saving procedure for the patient.
However, due to the lack of Armenian donors in other registries and due to
the unique genetic make up of Armenians, finding a bone marrow match is more
likely to occur among other Armenians, rendering the ABMDR the greatest hope
for Armenians, particularly since only one match is projected for every 200
donors.
Established in 1999, the ABMDR is an internationally accredited,
independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization and currently has
more than 150 patients in need of a transplant.
Founded by Dr. Frieda Jordan and Dr. Sevak Avagyan, the ABMDR is a member of
the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and the World Marrow Donor
Worldwide (WMDW), and although it shares its database information with other
registries around the world, it still needs as many donors as it can
recruit.
It is not too late to become a donor, for all those interested, please visit
for further information.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress