KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Minorities seek organ donors to stem critical shortage for transplants

By By Eve Glicksman, Staff Writer, myOptumHealth
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Pam needs a new kidney. She's waited anxiously for months and is now next in line for when a suitable donor is found. It sounds like good news, but she's told it could still be a long while yet. As an African American, it will be harder to find a kidney that is a match for her.

More than half of the people waiting for organ donors in the U.S. are members of minority groups. This includes Hispanic/Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, too. And many will be among the 18 Americans who die every day waiting for an organ donor.

People from minority groups face more challenges when waiting for an organ donor:

1. The success of a transplant depends on finding a close match between donor and recipient at the DNA level. The chance of this is much higher when both have the same racial or ethnic background. This narrows the pool of possible donors for minorities from the start. Campaigns to make minority groups aware of this shortage helped to double the percentage of minority organ donations between 1990 and 2008. But there are still not enough donor organs to go around.
2. People in certain minority groups have higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and liver and kidney disease than others. All these conditions can lead to organ failure and the need for a life-saving transplant. So, while minority groups may donate organs in proportion to their share of the population, their need for organ donors is much greater. In 2009, 29 percent of those waiting for organ transplants were African American.

What's involved in donating an organ?
Kidneys, hearts, livers, lungs, pancreases and intestines can all be transplanted. Usually, you make your wishes known to be a donor and your loved ones follow through after your death. But you can also donate some organs while you are alive - most commonly a kidney.

The reluctance of people to donate organs often stems from misinformation or baseless fears.

1. It is not true that doctors will not work as hard to save your life if you are an organ donor. The medical staff and the transplant team work separately. The transplant team does not step in until your doctors decide that everything has been done to save your life. No organ will be removed unless you are brain dead - the legal definition of death.
2. Don't assume you're too old or unhealthy to be a donor. If you should be a match for someone in need, a doctor will evaluate your organs at that time to see if they can be used for transplant. Perhaps your heart is not in good condition, but your lungs may be perfect.
3. Most religions support organ donation. Some people think that organ donation would be frowned on by their religious group, but in most instances, that's not the case. Donating an organ is seen as a gift of life - a high form of charity.
4. You will still be able to have a traditional funeral if you are an organ donor. Your body is sewn up after organ removal and it does not interfere with having an open-casket viewing.
5. No one receives payment for your donated organ. The only one who will profit from your gift is the recipient. His or her health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid covers the cost of the transplant. Arrangements are confidential unless both the donor and recipient request otherwise.

Doing for the community
As organ transplants become more successful, the demand is not keeping pace with the supply of organs. Every month, 4,100 names are added to the waiting list managed by The United Network for Organ Sharing. While the donor shortage is especially acute for minority groups, the scarcity of organs affects people of every color and creed.

Ready to help? To learn more about organ donation, visit the OrganDonor.gov web site. There, you can download a donor card to carry in your wallet and find links for states that have donor registries. You can also opt to be a donor when you obtain or renew your driver's license in some states.

If you decide to be a donor, talk to your family so they will be sure to honor your wishes. You may even inspire them to be donors, too.

SOURCES:

• National Kidney Foundation. 25 facts about organ donation and transplantation. Accessed: 08/03/2010

• Office of Minority Health. Organ donation data/statistics. Accessed: 08/03/2010

• Klein AS, Messersmith EE, Ratner LE, Kochik R, Baliga PK, Ojo AO. Organ donation and utilization in the United States, 1999-2008. American Journal of Transplantation. 2010;10(Pt 2):973-986.

• Callender CO, Miles PV. Minority organ donation: The power of an educated community. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2010;210(5):708-717.

• Office on Women's Health. Organ donation and transplantation. Accessed: 08/04/2010

• OrganDonor.gov. Be an organ and tissue donor. Accessed: 08/03/2010