Donating a pint of blood can save up to five lives. And for Westbury residents John and Elaine Hinton, a simple prick of the finger could lead to the bone marrow match they have been waiting for to save their daughter, Angela.

In 2000, former Westbury resident Angela Hinton-Diedro, 37, was diagnosed with a form of cancer known as Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL). She has since undergone various forms of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplant. When the stem-cell transplant, performed last spring at the Dana-Farmer Clinic in Boston, was unsuccessful, experts at the clinic suggested that Hinton-Diedro receive a bone marrow transplant.

But finding a bone marrow match is easier said than done. Unfortunately, testing of family members did not produce a positive match and the Hintons are now looking to the community to help save their daughter's life.

Members of the community are asked to attend a special blood drive on Saturday, July 20 at the Westbury United Methodist Church. The drive is an attempt to find a potential bone marrow donor for Hinton-Diedro. There will not be any bone marrow taken at the drive, just a simple prick of the finger.

Hinto-Diedro, who currently lives with her husband and three children in Freeport, grew up in Westbury and graduated from Westbury High School. She went on to earn a degree in fashion illustration and worked in the fashion field up until she was diagnosed with NHL in 2000.

NHL is a cancer of the lymphatic system or more specifically of the lymphocytes, the white blood cells that defend the body against infection. Like most cancers, the direct cause of NHL is unknown, but it occurs when the white blood cells in the body reproduce and divide at a faster rate than they should, thereby causing a tumor.

The symptoms associated with NHL are painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin, loss of appetite, weight loss and tiredness. NHL can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are so closely related to such diseases as the flu and mononucleosis. NHL is typically treated and sent into remission with the use of chemotherapy and radiation.

Rose Walker, a Westbury resident, neighbor and friend of the Hinton family for 14 years, said it is extremely important that as many people as possible get tested. "There is a life at stake. We are all linked together by this blood that can potentially save Angela's life," she said. "No matter who you are, what you are, where you are from, we are all connected by blood."

Hinton-Diedro's mother, Elaine, said, "The bone marrow transplant is one of the few options left that can cure her. We hope that you will give your blood for testing so that we may help save our daughter. Your spirit, help and kindness will always be in our hearts."

The blood drive to find a bone marrow match for Angela Hinton-Diedro will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Westbury United Methodist Church, 265 Asbury Avenue. The drive is being sponsored by the New York Blood Bank. For more information about the blood drive, please contact Elaine Hinton at 333-2763 or Rose Walker at 997-5372.