A special event will be held in Derry tomorrow which, it is hoped, will save the life of a young woman fighting cancer.
Nicole Di Pietro-Fisher (25) has battled with leukaemia since she was 11 years-old.
She went into remission when she was 16 but was recently told that the cancer has returned.
Now, doctors have told Nicole (pictured) who lives in England but is from an Irish-Italian background, that she needs a stem cell transplant is she is to survive.
However, she has also been told that because of her mixed-race background, the chances of finding a suitable stem cell donor are slim.
Despite this, a massive campaign has been launched in an attempt to find a suitable donor.
The campaign is coming to Derry tomorrow..
A donor recruitment event will be held at Warehouse No1 café at Guildhall Street from 11.00am to 5.00pm.
Organisers said they would love to see as many people as possible go along.
However, they said they were particularly keen to sign up donors between the ages of 16 and 30.
The event is being organised in conjunction with the Anthony Nolan Trust.
Nicole pleaded with people to sign up to become a potential donor.
“Doctors told me a stem cell transplant was my only chance of a cure. But because of my mixed-race heritage, the chances of finding a match were slim,” she said.
She contacted blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, which matches potential stem cell donors to blood cancer patients in desperate need of a transplant.
If you're a white European you have a 96% chance of finding a suitable donor on the register. This falls to 60% if you're from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background.
There is a 25% to 30% chance of having the same tissue type as a sibling. Sadly, Nicole’s brother is not a match.
Now, Nicole’s only hope of survival lies in the hands of strangers.
“Doctors think I need to find a donor urgently. Without a stem cell transplant, I will die,” she said.
“If anyone is reading this thinking about joining the register, please do it now. You have the potential to save my life. And even if you’re not a match for me, there are thousands of people waiting for life-saving donors.”
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