Update On Melineh's Story
“To all those who’ve been involved in saving of my life!
 As a person, who had developed a serious blood disease at my very early years, I was enforced to meet doctors at the time, when my young friends and neighbors were enjoying their childhood, studying at the school and playing around…
At the same very time I was confined to a bed, having endless blood infusions, with no light at the end.
Fortunately, in 2005 my family and I came across with the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry – an organization that gives the chance to many people like me – that is identifies and facilitates the bone marrow/stem cell transplantation for those for whom there is only one chance left…
And I am one of them, one of the successful stories, which may and should raise thousands of new donors and mindful contributors around the world!
Now, as a survivor from severe disease, a person who was given a second chance in the life, I’d like to say loudly:
Thank you! Thank you very much, God for being with me all these hard times.
Thank you Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and I wish this organization to become stronger, more developed, successful in all those new endeavors it plans for the year 2009!
Thanks to all doctors in Armenia and in Tehran who saved my life and offered me a chance to have a future.
Thanks to Viva Cell Telecom CJSC in Yerevan, Armenia, my main financial contributor and supportive organization, led by a very generous person, the CEO Mr. Yirikian.” |
Melineh's Story
In
the small village of Aghavnadzor, the Hayrapetyans welcomed their third
child and first daughter into the world with
great happiness, not knowing what the
future would hold. In 2001, at the age of
12, Meline was diagnosed with aplastic
anemia, and everything changed. Over many
years, the family has fought for the life of
their small and fragile daughter, making
the rounds of constant blood transfusions
and chemotherapy treatments. Undaunted
by his own leg injury caused by a land
mine explosion, Meline’s father, Hovik,
has carried her everywhere to seek every
possible option to heal his daughter.
In April of 2005, after exhausting all
other treatments, Meline’s doctors advised that a
stem cell transplant was the only hope for her
survival. That is when the ABMDR stepped in.
The ABMDR laboratory tissue typed Meline’s
and her family’s blood and, fortunately, found
that one of her brothers was an exact match.
But that was not enough. She had to delay
getting the procedure until funds were
raised for her and the donor to travel to a
stem cell harvesting and transplant center
outside of Armenia.
Through the combined efforts of Hovik and
the ABMDR, funds were raised, with major
sponsorship provided by Ralph Yirikyan, who
authorized funding from his company, Viva
Cell, one of Armenia’s mobile phone providers.
The ABMDR researched affordable
harvesting and transplant centers within
reasonable distance from Armenia and
negotiated an arrangement with a center in
Tehran, where members of the Armenian
community provided additional support for
Meline, her mother, and her donor brother
to fly to Iran. Finally, on September 2,
2007, the transplant was done. Meline is
in good condition, gained her strength in
Tehran, and returned home to Armenia.
With help from the ABMDR and an outpouring
of support, Meline was able to have the
life-saving transplant. But not all families
are able to raise the funds, and not all
donors are able to overcome the stress
and fear of traveling to a foreign country,
including language barriers and a feeling of
general lack of control over the procedure.
This reality underlines the importance of
having a stem cell harvesting center and
eventually, a transplant center in Armenia. |
