Advocates Work to Bridge Minority Organ Donor Gap
Today (August 1) is National Minority Donor Day, when national organ donor officials and those with Dallas’ Southwest Transplant Alliance specifically ask minorities to donate organs at rates that reflect their numbers on the waiting list.
Because organs, most often kidneys, are matched with medical compatibility, minorities awaiting kidney transplants have a better success rate if the organ donor is the same ethnicity.
“Our numbers are up for Hispanic donors in Texas,” said Pam Silvestri, STA’s public affairs director. “We started bringing in bilingual representatives to talk to families that have lost a loved one.”
But she said similar success was not achieved when the same tactic was used with black families. (Read full story by clicking on headline)
