Bermudians will today have the opportunity to help save the life of a woman who is in the final stages of leukaemia.

The community is urged to participate in a stem cell donor drive at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for Bermudian Diane Dismont who suffers from chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) ? a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.

A stem cell transplant could save the life of Ms Dismont, who is believed to be the only person in Bermuda this type of cancer. The donor drive, sponsored by Boston?s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, takes place in the lobby of the hospital between 12 noon and 6 p.m.

On Saturday, October 2, the donor drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone between the ages of 18 and 59 in good general health, free of all chronic diseases and not excessively overweight, is urged to come and be tested.

Ms Dismont, who was diagnosed three years ago, has had all her family members tested but no match was found. Matching tissue is more likely to be found among black people.

Volunteers can also register on the National Marrow Donor Programme (NMDP) on behalf of another patient in need. The NMDP maintains the world?s largest registry of potential volunteer marrow and blood stem cell donors.