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Sun, Apr

Forest Hills Second Annual Blood & Marrow Drive

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On Sunday, October 6, 2019, the ABA Health Committee hosted a Blood and Marrow drive at Beth Gavriel Bukharian Congregation in commemoration of Aseret Yemei Teshuva, a sacred time of repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The event was made possible by contributions from Maimonides Blood Donation Center, Chazaq, EMET, and the Alliance of Bukharian Americans. Marrow cheek swab kits were provided by the Gift of Life Marrow Registry. 

As per ABA Health Committee Chairman Boris Semkhayev: “Each unit of donated blood can potentially save three individuals’ lives, as the three transfusable elements of blood are erythrocytes, platelets, and plasma”. The Committee was able to obtain 50 blood donors, 44 of which matriculated into donations. The committee was also able to raise hundreds of dollars for a 10 year old Persian Jew Elan Shademan, who is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. Elan was diagnosed with MDS, a rare, severe blood disorder making his best chance for survival a bone marrow stem cell transplant. The Committee was able to obtain 33 new Gift of Life Marrow Registry participants in hopes of finding a match for Elan others like him.

The blood drive comes at the heels of the two year anniversary of Beth Gavriel’s first ever Blood and Marrow drive. That event, held January 2018, was planned by Jonathan Koptyev and Boris Semkhayev and sparked the Health Committee initiative. Koptyev, now an MS2 at RWJ Medical School, went on to co-found the ABA Health Committee along with his childhood best friend Boris Semkhayev. Over the past two years, the ABA Health Committee has been organizing various health-based events in the Bukharian communities in the Queens and Greater NYC area. Such events include various blood and marrow drives, annual healthcare professional seminars with graduate students and current professionals, as well as multiple drug abuse combat training events and seminars. The committee now consists of seven full time graduate and undergraduate college students committed to making their community a healthier place to live.

 By Samuel Sabzanov