Blogging daily in April in recognition of National Donate Life Month. Please register as an organ donor and help to raise awareness about this lifesaving gift.

National Minority Donor Awareness Week is observed every August 1 to 7. People of African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native and multiracial descent currently make up nearly 58 percent of individuals on the national organ transplant waiting list. These communities are in great need of more organ and tissue donors.

Patients are less likely to reject an organ that is genetically similar to their ethnic group. To avoid rejection, it is critical to get a close match between the donor organ and the recipient.  There is a huge shortage of minority organs, which means that minority patients may have to wait longer for an organ. We can change that by encouraging everyone to be an organ donor.  Don’t wait until National Minority Donor Awareness week to do something about the organ shortage in the United States. For more information, visit the National Minority Donor Awareness website.