Hundreds of Manchester Jews will take part in a bone marrow screening drive on Sunday in an effort to save the life of a young Manchester mother-of-three with leukaemia.

Shortly after being diagnosed nine weeks ago, 32-year-old Leora Kuhillow from Whitefield fell unconscious and was placed on life support. On three occasions doctors told her husband Mark that she would not survive.

News of her illness sparked community-wide prayer vigils involving 1,000 people. Although now responding to chemotherapy, Mrs Kuhillow needs a bone marrow transplant but says the community’s prayers and hundreds of emails have revived her spirits.

“I have just replied to one email. I wrote that I’m so proud to be alive and to be fighting a treatable disease. With an overwhelmingly wonderful Jewish community, I feel like the luckiest woman alive.”

Mark Kuhillow said his wife’s progress had been miraculous. Urging as many people as possible to support the screening — being held from 10am-2pm at the Hilton Suite in Prestwich — he explained: “It is a big operation involving 45 volunteers and the Anthony Nolan Trust. Even if no match is found for Leora, it could save other lives further down the line.”