ONE VOICE, ONE VISION – SAVING LIVES
LIFESHARE CELEBRATES NATIONAL MINORITY DONOR AWARENESS MONTH
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Voices are united across the country to address one of the top problems in transplantation: the gap between the demand for organ transplants and supply of donated organs. LifeShare of Oklahoma is working to raise awareness for the need of minority donors across Oklahoma through a celebration called the National Minority Donor Awareness Month.
National Minority Donor Awareness Month (NMDAM) is a collaborative effort to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye, and tissue donation. |
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“With the current waiting list at approximately 110,000 individuals from across the country and more than 60 percent of those individuals representing racial and ethnic minorities, it is very important for LifeShare to raise awareness about the need for donors,” Jeffrey Orlowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeShare said. “Though a record number of nearly 40,000 people, including more than 18,000 racial and ethnic minorities, received the gift of life in 2019, the gap remains staggeringly high.”
The need for donation and transplant is more pronounced in minority communities where disproportionately higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease contribute to organ failure. African Americans are three times more likely than White Americans to have kidney failure. Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.¹
On average, African American/Black transplant candidates wait longer than White transplant candidates for kidney, heart and lung transplants.² These healthcare disparities are part of the need for education and outreach to help heal and save lives in our communities.
The need for donation and transplant is more pronounced in minority communities where disproportionately higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease contribute to organ failure. African Americans are three times more likely than White Americans to have kidney failure. Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.¹
On average, African American/Black transplant candidates wait longer than White transplant candidates for kidney, heart and lung transplants.² These healthcare disparities are part of the need for education and outreach to help heal and save lives in our communities.
During NMDAM, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) such as LifeShare will highlight the need for more organ, eye and tissue donors within multicultural communities. In addition, they will provide donation education, encourage donor registration, and promote healthy living and disease prevention to decrease the need for transplantation. NMDAM is another important effort to promote the positive messages that are necessary for minority communities to make the decision for organ, eye and tissue donation.
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About LifeShare
LifeShare is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes. We work closely with four transplant centers and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation. Additionally, we strive to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education.
¹National Kidney Foundation, as July 21, 2020, kidney.org
²SRTR Risk Adjustment Model Documentation: Waiting List Models, as of July 21, 2020, https://www.srtr.org/reports-tools/waiting-list/
LifeShare is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes. We work closely with four transplant centers and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation. Additionally, we strive to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education.
¹National Kidney Foundation, as July 21, 2020, kidney.org
²SRTR Risk Adjustment Model Documentation: Waiting List Models, as of July 21, 2020, https://www.srtr.org/reports-tools/waiting-list/
