Minority Donor Awareness Month Highlights Desperate Need In Nevada

Nevada Donor Network is a organ procurement nonprofit organization in Nevada. In addition to managing organ donations, they are also responsible for facilitating cornea and tissue donation throughout the state of Nevada. The mission of the organization is to heal and save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Nevada Donor Network currently serves more than 3 million people in Nevada. And the state is currently home to 640 people who are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. But many of them won't live to get one. Every 9 minutes, another name is added to the national transplant waiting list. And everyday in America, 17 people die before receiving their donor organ.

100,ooo people in the United States are currently on the National Donor registry. And an alarming 60 percent of those people hail from multicultural communities. Those are individuals of African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American and multiracial decent.

August is National Minority Donor Awareness month. It serves to increase awareness of the need for organ, eye and tissue donation in these minority communities. Those on the National Donor Registry from a multicultural community have a greater chance of long-term survival if they are matched with a donor that is of their same background and ethnicity. But many in these same communities don't register to be an organ donor.

Adriana Connelly, Multicultural Outreach Liaison for Nevada Donor Network, joined Talking Solutions this week. She spoke about the misconceptions surrounding being an organ donor. And explained why many in minority communities don't register to be a donor.

One major misconception about registering to be an organ donor has to do with what happens when that potential donor needs life-saving help. Many are afraid that healthcare professionals won't try as hard to save them if they are a donor. Connelly explains that doctors only consider organ, tissue or eye donation after all life-saving efforts have been applied for the patient. Doctors will not refuse to save someone if they are a donor.

One organ donor can save the life of 8 other people. And one tissue donor can save the life of more than 75 others. Angelo Reyes is one lucky recipient of an organ donation. Still in recovery, Reyes also joined Talking Solutions to tell his story.

Original air date of this interview was August 27, 2023.