Archbishop Hovnan Derderian with representatives and supporters of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and family members at the Western Diocese. Photo courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
LOS ANGELES—Prayers for patients of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and their families were offered on June 5 at Saint Leon Cathedral of the Western Diocese, in Burbank, California. The occasion was led by Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, who officiated the Mass at the cathedral.
In keeping with a longstanding tradition of providing ABMDR patients and families with spiritual support, various Western Diocese churches offer prayers for them on a designated Sunday every year.
In his sermon, Archbishop Derderian prayed for the speedy recovery of ABMDR patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses, including 13-year-old Alex Darbinyan. In order to survive their illnesses, the Primate explained, these patients urgently need to undergo bone marrow stem cell transplants, which would be possible only if matched bone marrow donors are found among the Armenian community.
Archbishop Derderian praised the thousands of supporters who registered as potential bone marrow donors at a series of donor recruitments in April, organized by the ABMDR. These events, which were held in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Watertown, Yerevan, and Gyumri, sought to find donor matches for young Alex as well as many other cancer patients. Archbishop Derderian also prayed for strength and forbearance for the families of patients.
As he spoke of ABMDR’s mission of saving lives, Archbishop Derderian expressed admiration for the dedication of the pan-Armenian organization’s volunteers, supporters, and bone marrow donors. The Primate went on to reaffirm the Western Diocese’s strong advocacy of ABMDR’s outreach efforts, in the diaspora and the homeland alike, and urged congregants to support the organization by joining its ranks as potential bone marrow donors, for a chance to save someone’s life.
Among the congregants at St. Leon Cathedral were members of the ABMDR Board and volunteers, including Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the organization. Following the church service, Dr. Jordan said, “It’s extremely gratifying to see our work being supported by our churches and communities. In this respect, I’d like to convey our deep gratitude to Archbishop Derderian, for his leadership and exemplary efforts in raising public awareness of our life-saving mission.”
Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-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 32,000 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 38 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the ABMDR website.