Organ registry in need of more African-American donors

Christina Stolarz / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Toni Hicks used to believe it was a death omen to sign up as an organ donor. Her older brother figured if he registered, doctors would give his organs away instead of trying to revive him because he's a black man.

"That's how a lot of blacks look at it," said Hicks, 57, of Detroit, whose thinking changed when she was placed on the national organ transplant waiting list two years ago. She's awaiting a heart after being diagnosed in 1999 with cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens the heart muscle and caused her to rely on an artificial heart until a match is found.

Now, the siblings both proudly display the donor sticker on their driver's licenses. African-Americans also are hesitant to sign up on the organ donor registry because they lack proper access to health care -- something that has fueled a strong distrust of the medical system, said Remonia Chapman, director of Gift of Life Michigan's minority organ tissue transplant education program.

And although that reluctance is still visible, it has decreased due to raised awareness about diseases that land people on the waiting list and partnerships with minority donors, black ministers and trusted community organizations.

Over the last 15 years, the number of African-Americans in Michigan signing up to donate their organs has jumped from 10.8 percent to 21 percent. Overall, minority donor registrations are at 24 percent. Chapman said the figures are encouraging since minorities make up about 41.3 percent of the state's transplant wait list and about 46 percent of the people waiting for a kidney.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090519/LIFESTYLE03/905190346/1040/Organ-registry-in-need-of-more-African-American-donors

Just as I was about to ask "why does the race of the organ donor matter?" I came across this:



I had no idea.

:kick:

Thank you, Blue_Tires for this article.

'shaft' on so many issues. Why would this be any different? Just askin.