Young Yerevan resident donates bone marrow stem cells to save his sister’s life
Los Angeles, November 6, 2024 — On November 6, 2024, a young Yerevan resident, Garik Petrosyan, donated bone marrow stem cells to help save the life of his sister, in Germany.
Garik said that from the very start, he was certain that he would end up being identified as a matched donor for his sibling, potentially being able to help save her life through a bone marrow transplant.
The harvesting of Garik’s bone marrow stem cells took place at the Stem Cell Harvesting Center of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), in the Armenian capital. Thanks to the procedure, the donated stem cells were to be used for an urgent transplant that could help the patient survive her life-threatening blood-related illness.
“Garik had already donated stem cells for his sister in April of this year, but today she once again needs her brother’s help, in the form of another round of harvesting,” said ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan.
The painless, non-invasive harvesting was the 44th such procedure to be facilitated by ABMDR. As soon as it was completed, the donated stem cells were entrusted to a special courier and flown to Germany.
“Every transplant is a challenge, involving the work of many specialists,” said ABMDR President Dr. Frieda Jordan. “And once the process is set in motion, everyone involved focuses on a single goal, which is to get the donated stem cells to the patient as quickly as possible for helping them survive a potentially fatal illness.”
