People Of Color Comprise More Than 60% Of National Organ Transplant Waiting List

William and Kimberly Lewis began talking about organ donation in the late 1990s when both had relatives on the national transplant waiting list

“There are so many in the Black community in need of organ donations. But not many of us agree to donate,” William said. “After discussing and praying about it, my wife and I made our decision to become donors and help people someday with our gifts of life.”

In 2014, Kimberly’s life ended after she suffered a brain aneurysm. Her decision to be a donor helped others in need. Today, William celebrates his wife’s legacy by championing organ donation. “It’s a way of staying connected to my wife,” he said. “It’s a wonderful way of carrying on in her memory.”

August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, which elevates focus on community outreach and education about organ, tissue and eye donation among minority communities.

Minority groups make up more than 60% of the national transplant waiting list. According to Donate Life America, 28% are African American or Black, 21% are Hispanic or Latino, 9% are Asian or Pacific Islander, less than 1% are American Indian or Alaska Native and less than 1% are of multiracial descent.

In Indiana in 2021, 50 Hoosiers from minority groups were organ donors and 177 received lifesaving organ transplants. Nationally, 6,624 Americans from minority groups were organ donors and 20,049 were recipients.

“Hypertension and diabetes affect minorities disproportionately, which puts them at higher risk for needing a lifesaving transplant someday,” said Elliott Stubblefield, a multicultural community outreach coordinator at Indiana Donor Network. Stubblefield works to connect with minority groups, the LGBTQIA+ community and faith groups throughout Indiana, educating them about how critically important organ donation is in saving lives and having critical conversations about the organ donation process.

“There are strong misconceptions among minority communities about organ donation that we in community outreach strive to overcome every day through critical conversations and personalized education,” Stubblefield said. “The biggest one is, will a person’s life be saved if medical staff know they are a registered organ donor?”

Those who ask that question are immediately reassured by Stubblefield, he said. “Every effort to save one’s life is taken before donation is considered. Most people I have conversations with don’t realize that the medical team in charge of trying to save a life is completely separate from the team that manages a donation situation. Transplant surgeons are called in only after all efforts to save a person’s life have been exhausted.”

Other myths among Hoosier minority groups, according to Stubblefield:

MYTH: Organ allocation discriminates by race, wealth, social status and other uncontrollable factors.

TRUTH: Race, wealth and social status are not considered during the organ-matching process. A computerized matching system selects recipients based on blood and tissue typing, organ size, medical urgency, waiting time and geographic location.

MYTH: Donation will interfere with plans for my funeral.

TRUTH: Donation should not interfere with customary funeral plans, including an open-casket viewing.

“Organ transplants can be successful regardless of the ethnicity of a donor and recipient,” Stubblefield said. “But chances of longer-term survival could be greater if a donor and recipient are closely matched in terms of shared genetic background. That’s why diversity in organ donation is important. And that’s why we need more donors of color to say ‘yes’ to becoming an organ donor and saving lives.”

For more about the organ donation process and answers to frequently asked questions about donation, visit Indiana Donor Network online. Any Hoosier can sign up to become an organ donor at their local BMV branch, when purchasing a hunting or fishing license online or at DonateLifeIndiana.org.

Indiana Donor Network’s mission is to save and enhance the quality of life through organ, tissue and eye donation and transplantation. Its vision is to be a leader in organ and tissue recovery. Founded in 1987, the organization coordinates donation in 85 of the state’s 92 counties and serves transplant centers throughout the U.S.

ABOUT INDIANA DONOR NETWORK

The decision to become an organ, tissue and eye donor is a decision to give the gift of life. Indiana Donor Network serves as the vital link between donors and patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, healing tissue and corneas to restore sight. The organization is a federally designated organ recovery organization and accredited tissue bank serving 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Its team of more than 225 dedicated professionals is committed to saving and healing lives through donation and transplantation, championing the cause through education and outreach and supporting donor families in their time of need. For more or to sign up as a donor, visit Indiana Donor Network online.

Indiana Donor Network® and the Indiana Donor Network Foundation® are federally registered trademarks.

ABOUT DONATE LIFE INDIANA

Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has been the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana donor registry. Its mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the organization’s official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education. For more, visit Donate Life Indiana online.