The family of a woman in desperate need of a stem-cell transplant are still hopeful of finding a matching donor for their loved one despite a disappointing turnout at a testing session on Saturday.

Diane Dismont was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) three years ago and desperately needs to find a suitable donor for the operation which could cure her.

While almost 70 people signed up for a testing session held at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) on Saturday, roughly 22 of those people did not show up for the test, Ms Dismont?s sister, Rhonda Dismont-Seaton told .

Only one person called to reschedule.

However, 45 potential donors did undergo the test, the results of which will not be known for four to six weeks.

Ms Dismont-Seaton plans to call those who did not turn up to find out why they were not there and if they would like to reschedule as the family continues its bid to find a donor.

She also hopes to get radio talk show host Shirley Dill to ask people to come out and register over the radio.

The more people who are tested, the better the chances are of finding a donor.

But even is someone tested is not a match for Ms Dismont, they may match other people living with the disease.

Everyone that registers is automatically logged into a database at Dana Farber, a Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts.

?So, if no one can help Diane they may be able to help someone else,? said Ms Dismont-Seaton.

Both the Dismont family and the Cancer Institute are hoping that more people of colour will register and be tested.

Doing so will improve the likelihood of finding a match for Ms Dismont and meet a shortage in that category of donors at the Cancer Institute.

But Ms Dismont-Seaton stressed that it is important all people come out and get tested because potentially anyone could be a match.

The next testing date is set for February 28 from 8 a.m. until noon at KEMH.

Ms Dismont is believed to be the only person in Bermuda living with this disease ? a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.