Happy National Minority Donor Awareness Month!
AUGUST IS NATIONAL MINORITY DONOR AWARENESS MONTH, a time for Life Connection of Ohio, the non-profit organization that serves families and saves lives through organ donation, to spread the word—especially in communities of color—that everyone has the power to donate life. One person has the incredible ability to save eight lives through organ donation and heal 125 more through tissue donation!
Education and myth-busting are crucial to understanding the truth about organ, eye, and tissue donation.
Donation FAQs
Will doctors try to save my life if I am a registered donor?
Yes. Every effort will be made to save someone’s life, regardless of their choice to donate. The medical staff dedicated to saving lives at hospitals is separate from those who coordinate donation. It is only after all life-saving efforts have been exhausted that donation becomes an option.
Can I still have a viewing if I donate?
Yes. Organ recovery surgery is a very careful, respectful procedure, and if an open-casket funeral was possible before donation, it should be possible afterward.
Is my religion against donation?
Probably not. All major religions in the United States either encourage donation, viewing it as a generous last act of charity, or leave the decision up to the individual.
Can rich or famous people buy their way to the top of the waiting list?
No. The national transplant waiting list exists because everyone must wait on it, regardless of wealth or celebrity status. The only way to move to the top of the waiting list is to be extremely sick.
Will there be a cost to my family if I donate?
No. All costs associated with donation are the responsibility of the organ and/or tissue recovery organization. A donor family is only responsible for hospital charges until death is declared and for funeral expenses.
Am I too old or too sick to donate?
Not necessarily. The oldest organ donor was 95, and people with histories of diabetes, cancer, and other diseases have still been able to give the gift of life. It is important to register as a donor regardless of age or health conditions, as medical professionals will determine whether someone’s organs and tissues are healthy enough to transplant after death.
What is the matching process?
The donor and recipient must be medically compatible, so blood type, body size, and age are considered. Urgency of need, length of time on the waiting list, and geographic location are also factors, but race, gender, and wealth are not.
What can be donated?
Organs that can be donated after death include the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, and small intestine. Tissues that can be donated after death include bone, corneas, heart valves, ligaments, skin, tendons, and veins.
How do I register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor?
• Online at lifeconnection.org—All you need to say “yes” to saving lives is a valid Ohio driver’s license or state identification card.
• At the BMV—Say “yes” when obtaining or renewing your driver’s license or state identification card.
• By mail—Say “yes” through an Ohio Donor Registry enrollment form. Brochures can be found at any BMV or at Life Connection of Ohio’s office.
Stats
Organ donation and transplantation—Communities of color
• Comprise 60% of people currently on the national transplant waiting list
• Comprised 30% of organ donor heroes in 2021
• Comprised 47% of organ transplant recipients in 2021
Organ donation and transplantation— African Americans
• Comprise 28% of people currently on the national transplant waiting list
• Comprised 13% of organ donor heroes in 2021
• Comprised 23% of organ transplant recipients in 2021
Organ donation and transplantation— Hispanics/Latinos
• Comprise 21% of people currently on the national transplant waiting list
• Comprised 15% of organ donor heroes in 2021
• Comprised 18% of organ transplant recipients in 2021
Organ donation and transplantation—Asian/ Pacific Islanders
• Comprise 9% of people currently on the national transplant waiting list
• Comprised 3% of organ donor heroes in 2021
• Comprised 6% of organ transplant recipients in 2021
Everyone has the power to say “yes” to saving eight lives through organ donation and healing 125 more through tissue donation. To learn more about organ, eye, and tissue donation or to register as a donor, visit lifeconnection.org.
Kara Steele is Director of Community Services for Life Connection of Ohio.
