LOS ANGELES—As the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorated the feast of Pentecost, Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossia presided over the Divine Liturgy and delivered a sermon. The day also had great significance for the worldwide family of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, as prayers for ABMDR patients and volunteers were offered at all Prelacy churches, by the directive of Archbishop Mardirossian, and parishioners were familiarized with the work of ABMDR. The gathering took place at St. Sarkis Church, in Pasadena on Sunday, June 9.
In his sermon, Archbishop Mardirossian stated that 2019 represents a great milestone for ABMDR, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the organization. The Prelate went on to praise the dedication of ABMDR’s volunteers and thousands of donors across the globe, and urged congregants to generously support its cause. “May God grant good health to all, and lead the members of ABMDR to continued success in their life-saving mission,” said the Prelate.
Subsequently Archbishop Mardirossian invited Dr. Frieda Jordan, President of ABMDR, to deliver remarks. “As we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year, we convey our heartfelt gratitude to Archbishop Mardirossian, the Armenian Church, and the Armenian community as a whole, for their unwavering support,” Dr. Jordan said. “Twenty years ago, we established ABMDR with a singular quest: to provide patients suffering from leukemia and other blood-related illnesses with their last hope of survival, namely matched donors for facilitating bone marrow stem cell transplants. Toward this goal, we have built a substantial registry of bone marrow donors throughout the world, and, to date, helped save the lives of 32 patients through bone marrow transplants.”
“Today, as we look ahead to the future, we once again thank the worldwide Armenian community for its steadfast support, and pray that God will give everyone involved in ABMDR the strength to carry out our work for another 20 years,” concluded Dr. Jordan.
Following the church service, ABMDR Board members and volunteers remained on hand to answer questions by congregants, and provide information on how to join ABMDR as potential bone marrow donors.
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: 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 30,000 donors in 31 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 32 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the website.
