A NEIGHBOUR has organised a bone marrow clinic to try and save her friend's life.

Chris Buttivant was distressed when she learned her next-door neighbour Sandra Peskett had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but thought it would be easy to find a match on the Anthony Nolan Trust bone marrow register.

The 53-year-old leader of the 1st Orpington Guides, Brownies and Rainbow groups was diagnosed with the disease last November, but she is still waiting for a bone marrow donor.

So her neighbour of 19 years decided to organise a clinic to get more potential donors.

Mrs Buttivant, 57, said: "I was unaware of how short they were of donors.

"I cannot donate because I'm too old but I can get the session to help."

The resident of Rookesley Road, Orpington, added: "We have lived next door to each other for years and have watched each other's children grow up.

"She is a very lovely person and now Anthony Nolan is the only thing left for her.

"She has been so good about it all and I don't know where she finds the strength from.

"She has strength and gives it to everybody around her."

Mrs Peskett's daughter, Sam, is also pleading with people to come to the Anthony Nolan bone marrow clinic.

The 22-year-old said: "My mum has helped out in the community for the past 12 years with Rainbows, Brownies and Guides.

"It is now her turn to ask people if they could help her or other people in her similar position.

"She is around now and will be able to see me, her only daughter, graduate but I desperately do not want this to be her last Christmas with her friends and family."

The clinic will be held at Mrs Bond's Village Nursery, High Street, St Mary Cray, between 6pm and 8.30pm on October 24.

Call 020 7284 1234 for more information about becoming a donor.

CANCER FACTS

  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer arising from lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells.
  • It is distinct from Hodgkin's disease, another subtype of lymphoma.
  • The most common symptom of NHL is a painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin.
  • Other symptoms may include night sweats, unexplained weight loss, lack of appetite, anorexia, constant tiredness and reddened patches on the skin.
  • It is diagnosed by removing an enlarged lymph node, or part of it, and examining the cells under a microscope.
  • Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the most common treatments.
  • Bone marrow transplantation is used in some cases to produce healthy white blood cells.