Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry celebrated at 25th-anniversary Gala

LosAngeles — Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) celebrated its 25th anniversary, with a jubilant Gala held in Los Angeles on August 25.

The Match for Life Gala, which comprised the ABMDR awards ceremony, took place at the Glendale Hilton, in Glendale, California. The event was attended by more than 300 supporters, including elected officials, community leaders, and representatives of community-service and health organizations. The silver-jubilee award recipients included Serj Tankian, while media personalities participating in the event included Araksya Karapetyan and Amanda Salas.

ABMDR’s life-saving mission was commended by featured speakers and dignitaries, including California State Senator Anthony Portantino. A longtime supporter of ABMDR, Portantino presented ABMDR president Dr. Frieda Jordan with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the California Senate.

After a cocktail hour and silent auction in the foyer and terrace of the Hilton’s “Glendale” Ballroom, the evening’s main program began..

Welcome remarks were delivered by Gala co-chairs Amy Boyadjian and Hilda Gourdikian.

The co-chairs thanked the event’s major sponsor, the Family Rescue Fund; platinum sponsors Drs. Arpenik Avagyan and Evgeni Sokurenko, as well as the Persian American Cancer Institute; and other sponsors including Closet World, Adventist Health Glendale, Foundation Lab, L.A. Cancer Network, Le Papillon and Naz Atikian, Dr. Vergine Madelian, RaMa Drugs, Inc., and Tri-Tech Restoration. The co-chairs also thanked a number of supporters for helping make the Gala a success, including Mission Wine and Spirits, J’adore Les Fleurs, Raffi’s Catering and Banquet, Nava Market, Lena Boyadjian, and Custom Props.

The evening’s invocation was delivered by Father Zaven Markosyan.

Opening remarks were made by Master of Ceremonies Dr. Vicken Sepilian, president of the Armenian Medical International Committee. Dr. Sepilian said, “We’re here tonight not only to celebrate 25 years of great achievements, but to kick off the next 25 years of success, generosity, and helping save the lives of people struck by debilitating cancers.”

Dr. Sepilian went on to acknowledge the presence of distinguished guests, including Father Zaven Markosyan of the Western Diocese; Araksya Karapetyan, Emmy award-winning co-anchor of Fox 11’s “Good Day LA” and co-host of “Good Day LA Plus;” Amanda Salas, entertainment anchor and reporter on “Good Day LA;” Senator Anthony Portantino; Glendale City Council members Mayor Elen Asatryan, Ara Najarian, Vartan Gharpetian, and Ardy Kassakhian; former California State Assembly member Adrin Nazarian; Mary Hovagimian, representing US Congressman Adam Schiff; Dr. Evgeni Sokurenko, founder and president of ID Genomics and the ArmGen project; Adventist Health Glendale president Alice Issai and vice president of Business Development Dr. Ramella Markarian; Dr. Neena Kapoor, director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Center Laboratory at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; Hoori Sadler, founder of the Persian American Cancer Institute, and her husband, Dr. Charles Sadler; Dr. Boris Bagdasarian and Dr. Nubar Boghossian of the LA Cancer Network; Steve Chelebian and George Titizian of the Triple X Fraternity; Armenian American Medical Society president Garni Barkhoudarian and past president Dr. Varouj Alahverdian; Family Rescue Fund chair Naz Atikian and Board members Linda Vartanian, Sonia Nersissian, Jassik Jerzeyan, and Henrik Sahakyan; Christina Khanjian and Jasmen Jerahian of the ARS Western Region; former ARS Central Executive Board chair Nyree Derderian; Zaven Kazazian, vice chair of the Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California; and Angel Matevossian and Houri Tanashian of the Armenian American Nurses Association.

Dr. Sepilian then invited the evening’s keynote speaker, Dr. Frieda Jordan, to the podium. “Our journey began 25 years ago, with a young patient in need of help, and a handful of brave individuals who, despite many daunting challenges, came together to establish the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry,” Dr. Jordan said. “Since that time, ABMDR, as a pan-Armenian organization, integrated into the global network of registries and transplant centers, drew donors from all over the world, and has been saving lives all over the world.”

“Over the years, we have also become a center of progress in Armenia’s medical field,” Dr. Jordan continued. “We have advocated for and introduced many DNA-based tests and procedures, which have advanced and supported the practice of data-based medicine in the entire Caucasus region. None of these strides would be possible without our donors, volunteers, Boards of Advisors and Directors, and you, our family of supporters. So I’m here to thank you: thank you for your trust, your support, and your generosity.”

 

The next speaker was Dr. Sevak Avagyan, ABMDR’s executive director. “Our work continues to thrive,” Dr. Avagyan said. “We continue to recruit donors, serve new patients, find matches, and perform harvests. Simultaneously, in Armenia, we provide tissue-typing for the hematology institute, as well as matching for the kidney institute, and constantly expand our repertoire of molecular tests to help the medical community.”

Dr. Avagyan continued: “In addition, we remain focused on the continuing education and international certifications of our Lab personnel, while two of my colleagues, Dr. Frieda Jordan and lab supervisor Armine Hyussyan, in their capacity as inspectors certified by the European Federation of Immunogenetics, inspect labs throughout Europe. With your support and encouragement, we will continue our work, keep our standards high, and serve our communities worldwide.”

Afterwards Dr. Sepilian invited Eric Markarian, the founder and president of NextGen, ABMDR’s youth group, as well as all NextGen members in attendance, to the stage. “In just two years, NextGen has become a global movement, engaging college students in the US and Armenia,” Markarian said. “We’ve recruited a large number of donors, helped members receive lab internships and training, and spread the message about ABMDR. Looking ahead, we’re determined to expand our recruitments and fundraising. Your support is invaluable to us, and we thank you sincerely for helping us advance ABMDR’s life-saving work.”

The attendees were then shown a documentary video about the work of ABMDR since its inception a quarter century ago. The production of the video, dedicated to families of ABMDR patients, was donated by acclaimed filmmaker Garen Mirzaian, of Friendly Filmworks.

Following the screening of the video, Dr. Sepilian invited Araksya Karapetyan to the podium to present the ABMDR Visionary Award to musician, author, activist, and longtime ABMDR supporter Serj Tankian.

In her introduction of the honoree, Karapetyan said, “When someone like Serj has a following like he does — he’s looked up to, he has the audience, he has the reach — and he does something good with it, that is a sign of a good human being. When you are in that type of position, it is not only your privilege, but it is your duty, it is your responsibility, to do good for others.”

Karapetyan continued: “Whether Serj writes an article, he’s in an interview, or posts something on social media, his voice carries a great deal of weight. And his support for ABMDR has undoubtedly made a difference.”

Tankian’s acceptance speech was presented in a recorded video.

Afterwards Karapetyan invited Amanda Salas, her “Good Day LA” colleague and a cancer survivor, to the stage. Only days prior to the Gala, Karapetyan and Salas had interviewed Dr. Frieda Jordan and ABMDR Board member and bone-marrow donor Arpine Zohrabyan on “Good Day LA Plus.”

In her remarks at the Gala, Salas expressed her admiration for ABMDR’s life-saving mission. Addressing the guests, she said, “It is so impressive to have over 33,000 names in your registry, all signed up to save a life. As somebody who has been blessed with a second chance at life, I’m using my voice, my heart, and my story to see if we can give others, too, that second chance.”

Following Salas’ remarks, the ABMDR Inspiration Award was presented to Dr. Alique Topalian. In 1999, as a child struck by cancer, Topalian became the inspiration behind the launch of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Today, she is a patient advocate, research scientist, and supportive-service promoter at the University of Cincinnati.

In her remarks, Topalian spoke of the extreme difficulty of finding a donor match for patients who need a transplant as their last chance of survival. She said, “Even though so many people have registered as potential bone-marrow donors, it’s not enough. We need more… We can save so many lives by just being a match. We need to come together, figure out how we can help each other. Get swapped to be a match, see if you can save a life, donate to ABMDR.”

Topalian concluded her remarks by touching on the significant contributions of Armenian oncologists to medical science. “We Armenians are changing the field of oncology,” she said. “I went to one of the largest oncology conferences in the world this year to present my research, and I was blown away by how many of the participants were Armenian. From St. Jude to Dana-Farber, the best cancer hospitals in the country, some of the best minds, both nationally and internationally, are Armenian. And that is something to be deeply proud of.”

Topalian’s acceptance speech was followed by the “Be an Angel, Save a Life” fundraising portion of the evening, featuring the young ABMDR Angels. The program was introduced by Hoori Sadler of the Persian American Cancer Institute. As this segment was underway, Allen G and his band delighted the guests with performances of Armenian and world classics.

The ABMDR Business of the Year Award was presented to the Comedy Store. The award was accepted by Sam Tripoli. The Volunteer of the Year Awards were presented to Maral Der Torossian and Gayaneh Kostikyan. The Woman of the Year Award was bestowed on Rosie Diremsizian, and the Man of the Year Award was conferred on Armond Mehdikhani. The ABMDR Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Stepan Vartanian, and the ABMDR Legacy Award was presented to Diana Artunian.

Commenting on the significance of the event, Dr. Frieda Jordan said, “Our Gala tonight comes as an occasion to renew our commitment to our work: to replenishing our donor ranks, continuing to grow as a national and global health organization, and, ultimately, saving more lives. In fact, as we speak, our Lab team in Yerevan is preparing a donor for harvesting. The donor’s stem cells will be collected and transported to Moscow, to save the life of a five-year-old patient. This will be our 44^th transplant.”