Hispanic Americans much less likely to receive an organ transplant compared to non-Hispanic white Americans.
That’s according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health.
A Georgia agency that facilitates organ transplants is encouraging Hispanics to register as organ donors during Hispanic Heritage Month, which ends Oct. 15.
Martina Castaneda of McDonough, south of Atlanta, received a kidney transplant in 2007 and now helps the agency, LifeLink of Georgia, to promote organ donation among Latinos.
“When you die, it’s giving life to another person who is suffering,” Castaneda said. “Your organs are not needed in heaven. They are needed here. And you give them another chance at life, what they have given to me.”
Although organs are not matched by race or ethnicity, having a diverse pool of donors can make it easier to match donors and recipients, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
About 36% of Hispanics on the U.S. organ transplant waiting list in 2023 received a transplant compared to 58% of non-Hispanic whites. And while 23% of the total candidates waiting for transplants are Hispanic, they comprised 15% of organ donors.
Martina Castaneda of McDonough, Ga., credits an organ donor for saving her life and now helps spread the word about organ donation within the Hispanic community.
Credit: LifeLink Georgia
Those are numbers that LifeLink of Georgia’s Executive Director, Katie Payne, hopes that more outreach to Hispanics can turn around.
Her message to all potential organ donors is the same:
“When you become an organ donor, your life story continues through the lives you save, ensuring that your legacy lives on indefinitely,” Payne said. “Life is an invaluable treasure.”
The agency has begun featuring the stories of people like Castenda in a new campaign, launched in August, that aims to motivate more people to register as organ donors.
Castaneda said that because of her transplant, she’s now able to enjoy the company of her two granddaughters, who are now 8 and 14 years old.
“They are my motivation for living,” she said. “Life is beautiful. Enjoy it to the fullest.”
The campaign and resources to register as an organ donor can be found at mystorycontinues.com.
SOURCE:https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/10/08/hispanic-heritage-month-spotlights-need-for-organ-donors-in-georgia