An information and awareness event, open to the public of the city, entitled “volunteering and bone marrow transplantation”, was held today in a hall of the Thessaloniki City Hall with the cooperation of the Deputy Mayor of Social Policy, Solidarity and Welfare of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, together with the student organization of Thessaloniki MedAction.

“Today’s event is to register many bone marrow transplant volunteers to treat bone cancer. We need many to be able to save a few. The transplantation of hematopoietic organs works wonders” the Deputy Mayor of Social Policy, Solidarity and Welfare told APE-MPE. Efthimios Hatzitheoklitos.

The event was also attended by the association “SYLLOGOS ORAMA ELPIDAS” founded in 2012 by Marianna V. Vardinogianniwith the action touching not only children suffering from serious diseases and their families, but also adults, especially those who need a bone marrow transplant and are looking for the right transplant to regain their lives.

“We are trying to respond to the call and the necessity that exists to find transplants for our fellow human beings so that they can win their lives again” pointed out the Authorized Councilor of the Municipality of Thessaloniki Dimitris Skoutas.

According to the latest data, more than 160,000 volunteer donors for bone marrow transplantation have been registered in Greece, bringing the country to a high position of availability within the European community.

“Within a decade, Orama Elpida has registered 160,000 voluntary donors and our country occupies a valuable position among all European countries. Now the volunteer donors of Vision of Hope, almost every week offer a transplant to save a Greek or a patient abroad. We achieved this with effort and great effort with our partners who are located all over Greece and many of them are here in Thessaloniki in Central Macedonia and have registered thousands of volunteers with this number constantly increasing” the Scientific Director of Vision of Hope, Stelios Grafakos

“The event “volunteering and bone marrow transplantation” started on Saturday with an open call in Aristotelous Square and many people showed special interest and registered,” said Mr. Hatzitheoklitos.

“The method is completely painless and harmless. Five minutes and you have saved lives” pointed out the Deputy Mayor of Social Policy, Solidarity and Welfare, of the municipality of Thessaloniki.