LOS ANGELES — On July 13, 2026, a young Yerevan resident donated bone marrow stem cells for an urgent transplant that might help her mother survive a life-threatening blood-related illness.
The harvesting of the donated stem cells is the 45th such procedure to be performed by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR). The harvesting took place at ABMDR’s Stem Cell Harvesting Center, in the Armenian capital.
Immediately after being identified by ABMDR as a matched donor for her mother, the young woman was admitted to the registry’s headquarters for the harvesting. The painless, non-invasive procedure was performed by Dr. Andranik Mshetsyan, the Stem Cell Harvesting Center’s resident physician.
“Our young donor’s gift of stem cells is significant not only in medical terms, but also as a wonderful manifestation of love and dedication among family members,” said ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan.
Present during the procedure were, in addition to Dr. Avagyan, ABMDR Medical Director Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan and other lab personnel. Also present were ABMDR Board of Advisors member Taleen Khatchadourian and her daughter, Jacqueline Khatchadourian, of Los Angeles. Jacqueline had just completed a two-week internship at the ABMDR Lab.
Shortly after the harvesting procedure, the donated stem cells were flown to Germany, personally delivered by a specially-licensed international courier. It was in Germany that the donor’s mother was to undergo a potentially life-saving transplant.
