“Umbrella” singer tries to find match for New York leukemia patient

By Matthew B. Zeidman

NEW YORK (Hollywood Today) 2/25/08 – Her fans know her for radio-friendly hits, like “Shut Up and Drive” and “Umbrella,” but Barbadian singer Rihanna is taking time from her busy career to help a mother of two fight cancer.

Lisa Gershowitz Flynn was diagnosed in late 2007 with a fast-moving type of leukemia, and Rihanna is working with international donor network DKMS to make sure the 41-year-old New Yorker finds a compatible bone marrow donor as soon as possible.

“For Rihanna to even be thinking about helping others and putting herself out there when she is so busy with her career is tremendous,” Flynn told People magazine.

“When I heard about Lisa’s plight, my heart broke,” said the 20-year-old singer. “I said, ‘I need to get the word out about Lisa right away.’”

Earlier this month, Rihanna won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Umbrella,” which she performed with rapper Jay-Z. The song also won her Monster Single of the Year and Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards in September.