Bone marrow donor recruitments at Encino and Glendale churches

Los Angeles, March 19, 2013 – During morning worship on Sunday, March 17, Armenian Prelacy churches throughout Southern California offered prayers for patients of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR). These patients, all of whom suffer from blood-related and life-threatening illnesses, have been identified by ABMDR and currently await donor matches for bone marrow stem cell transplants.

The call to prayer was requested by Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy and a longtime supporter of ABMDR, through a special letter issued to all Prelacy churches. In his letter, which pastors read before their congregations during church service on March 17, Archbishop Mardirossian expressed profound admiration for the life-saving mission of the registry, and commended the organization for its worldwide humanitarian service since its establishment in 1999.

Officiating pastors prayed for the speedy and full recovery of the ABMDR patients, and informed congregants of the spirit of selfless volunteerism espoused by ABMDR.

The prayers were later complemented by recruitment drives held on the grounds of two churches, Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church in Encino and Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale. Following worship, parishioners had the opportunity to learn more about the work of the registry and join its ranks as potential bone marrow donors, as ABMDR volunteers were on hand to answer questions and welcome new recruits.

“We convey our heartfelt gratitude to Archbishop Mardirossian for continuing to raise awareness of our mission,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR. “The Prelate and other community leaders play a key role in encouraging grassroots involvement in our cause, enabling us to reach out to more patients and ultimately help save the lives of fellow Armenians, here in the US and throughout the world.”  

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 17 countries across four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone marrow transplants.