Still looking for a match

October 12, 2004

Dear Sir,

The family and friends of Diane Dismont wish to thank all those who came out to be tested on October 1 and 2 as well as those tested in the past five donor drives, with hopes of finding a stem cell match for Diane.

We also wish to thank those who donated money to offset the cost of testing ... money which will be specially allocated to the Marrow Foundation?s ?Bermuda Patients? Fund?. A special thanks to everyone who volunteered to help and spread the word.

Unfortunately the Monday news report on radio and in confused many people and left the impression that Diane had found a match. Diane is still looking for a stem cell match. The article made reference to finding a match ... that was in fact referring to someone who was tested in one of our previous blood drives who actually came up as a match to someone else in the world who was checking for a match through The National Marrow Donor Foundation. We are pleased to know that our efforts have helped someone.

The more people who volunteer to be tested and join the National Marrow Donor Foundation will help Diane in her efforts to survive.

Persons interested in being tested my call King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Blood Lab and ask for Marian Manuel or Morag Smith to arrange a time to be tested. Donor Forms along with the eligibility guidelines can be obtained from the Hospital lobby and should be completed prior to testing.

We will continue to search for Diane and in memory of Debria Evans who lost her battle with leukaemia. Please continue to spread the word and recruit people to join the National Marrow Donor Foundation to help Diane and the other 3,000 patients around the world who are searching for their ?Miracle Match?. Thank you once again to one and all.I noticed that in the Letters to the Editor (October 8), Kathy Fox commented on the fact that only 229 people came out to be tested out of an adult population of 30,000. I have to admit disappointment as well. I wish to thank her for her comments and invite her to call me at 295-4721 so that I can thank her personally.

We are independent

October 15, 2004

Dear Sir,

Enough is enough. It is time we stopped talking about Independence. We have all the Independence we need. If we were Independent, we would not have been able to order up a Hercules plane for the Royal Air Force to take the troops to Cayman. What would you do if you lost your Bermuda passport in Brazil? Now we can go to the British Embassy and they would help us. What do you think the Brazilians would do with a passport from an unknown little island?

There is no guarantee that the exempted companies will stay here forever. Where are we going find the money to pay for an ambassador in Washington with housing and entertainment and chauffeurs etc.? A representative to the United Nations and a High Commissioner in London: All these things cost an enormous amount of money and at this stage we get all this for free.

The politicians are spending all this time on discussions and talks and all their energy is going towards the Independence talk. Stay home, Mr. Scott, and deal with our problems. The housing, the crime, the drugs and youth and all the other problems we have. Try and put a plan in place for the coming years.

The Government seems to just work from day to day with no specific plan. None of those problems are going to go away just because we get Independence. Use all your energy on the home front. Do not go all over the place and give speeches and stay in expensive hotels. It is our money you are using. Put it to better use.

Why are the politicians wasting all their energy and time on talks of Independence? Leave it alone till we get our own house in order. Independence is not going to solve all these problems.

This Government does not seem to realise that they have been elected to sort out our problems and not creating them. The Independence debate causes nothing but divisions in the community. I thought the Government was meant to try and get us all together, instead of apart.

Leave the Independence debate alone for the time being. We are perfectly fine the way we are. We have the best of both worlds.

DIANA WILLIAMS

Pembroke

P.s. My deepest condolence to Mr. Inman who lost his wife on Thursday.