NASHVILLE, Tenn. – During the month of August, Tennessee Donor Services and Donate Life Tennessee recognize National Multicultural Donor Awareness Month by honoring the diverse donor heroes in the state who give the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation. These organizations also want to underscore the critical need for donors within multicultural communities so more lives can be saved.
In Tennessee, over 3,000 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Of those patients, 54% come from multicultural backgrounds, including Hispanic/Latino, Native American and African American communities. Currently, only 50% of Tennesseans are signed up on the Donate Life Tennessee registry, making registry growth a critical health priority. Because genetic markers needed for organ matching are inherited, a larger and more diverse donor pool gives every patient a better chance of finding a compatible, life-saving match.
“With over half of Tennessee’s waitlist made up by patients of color, National Multicultural Organ Donor Awareness Month provides us an opportunity to raise awareness about the critical need for more organ donors of all backgrounds,” said Jill Grandas, CEO of Tennessee Donor Services. “At TDS, we are proud to champion programs year-round to help bridge the disparity between donors and recipients in communities of color, including our Black Family Health Advisory Council and our partnership with Meharry Medical College. But we must keep doing more to save more lives, and we need your help.”
TDS is the federally appointed nonprofit that works around the clock to facilitate organ donation and guide families through the process. Throughout August, TDS observes the month with awareness campaigns and community events across the region, working alongside faith leaders, community organizations and multicultural media partners to answer questions, address concerns and share organ donor hero stories in the spaces where communities gather.
Everyone has the ability to become an organ and tissue donor, and just one donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of 75 others. To find out more, visit tennesseedonor.org or donatelifetn.org. Or ask about becoming an organ donor when you obtain or renew a driver’s license or ID card.
