More than 300 people turned up to a bone marrow drive four days after award-winning pianist Janice Tang Wai-yi lost her 13-month battle against leukaemia. Despite her death on Friday, donors who had hoped to save her still came forward in the hope of saving other lives. Almost 4,000 people have signed up after the latest campaign at the University of Hong Kong's Loke Yew Hall in Pokfulam. A spokeswoman for the university's Development and Alumni Affairs Office said: 'People are still pouring in because they know that besides Janice, there are many patients waiting desperately for a match. That's why they are going ahead with it, even though Janice has left us.' Tang, 30, graduated from the university in 1997 and began teaching at a primary school. She was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in August last year. She appealed to the Hong Kong Marrow Match Foundation when she suffered a relapse in May and her brother and sister were found to be incompatible with her tissue type. She had won a number of prizes and music scholarships. Despite a record turnout of donors in a previous drive, doctors failed to identify a match for Tang, who had a rare blood type, said Joanna Kwok Chu-oi, liaison officer of the foundation. Ms Kwok said of about 200 patients waiting for a bone marrow transplant every year, 10 to 20 had rare blood types. The foundation is seeking donations. It costs $500 to have a blood sample shipped to Los Angeles for a test as local laboratories cannot handle large amounts. So far about $88,000 has been raised. Donations can be made to an HSBC account: 580-198836-001. Another bone marrow donation drive will be held at Loke Yew Hall from 10am to 5pm today. Tang's funeral will be held at the Universal Funeral Home in Hunghom on October 5, starting at 7.30pm.
