Thirty-nine-year-old Meg Reynolds of Hicksville, a mother of two small children, was recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a potentially life threatening form of cancer. With a bone marrow transplant being called her best hope for survival, friends and neighbors gathered at East Lake Elementary School in Massapequa Park Nov. 1 for the blood drive that could help save her life.

"None of her siblings, her sister or three brothers, was a match," explained husband Doug Reynolds. "And you just can't get the marrow from your parents, or they would gladly be donors. So we really needed help from everyone we could get."

According to Long Island Blood Services, 223 people had their bone marrow tested to help Meg Reynolds, and they also signed up to be placed on the national bone marrow registry.

Reynolds spoke with sadness about the diagnosis, which he said turned their family upside down. "Christmas Day of 2000, a lymph node popped in her neck. They thought it might have been a thyroid problem. Then they found a growth across the top of her chest. It was horrendous."

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the lymphoid tissue and can spread to other organs. According to the American Cancer Society, about 53,900 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease this year alone. The American Cancer Society estimates 24,400 Americans will die of the disease in 2002.

"We go from week to week, month to month, in terms of dealing with it," Reynolds said. "At first, she thought the worst. It's very stressful, but we're trying to be positive. The last round of chemotherapy she underwent did absolutely nothing. But if we can get the bone marrow transplant, I've heard they've been successful with that."

Many of the people who turned out to donate were members of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA). "We consider Meg part of the CSEA extended family, not only because her mother-in-law Lee Reynolds is treasurer of CSEA Local 865," said Nick LaMorte, president of the Long Island Region of CSEA. "Lee is also a close friend and a committed veteran activist who has spent her life fighting for the rights of others. So we are very glad to do whatever we can to support the family and help Meg beat this terrible disease."

The next bone marrow drive for Meg Reynolds will be held Dec. 1 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the St. Rose of Lima School auditorium in Masspaequa.