Register as a Donor
Inspired by the success of transplantation and the great need for organ and tissue donation, LifeGift staff members and volunteers work tirelessly to provide facts and dispel myths about donation throughout the community.
Public education plays a vital role in these outreach efforts. That’s why LifeGift has developed specific programs to increase awareness about donation among the Asian, African-American and Hispanic communities – as well as the business community.
Donation among Minorities
Today, minorities account for more than 50 percent of patients in need of organ and tissue transplants in the United States. Unfortunately, the percentage of minority organ and tissue donors is 32 percent nationwide.
This gap has become a serious problem, as patients waiting for a transplant have a better chance of finding a match from within their racial groups. And the success rates for transplants are much greater when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic and racial group.
LifeGift and other minority-focused groups, such as the American Society of Minority Health and Transplant Professionals (ASHMTP), strive to educate minorities about the critical need for donors and dispel myths about donation. Thanks to these efforts, the donation rate among minorities in the LifeGift service area is 10 percent greater than the national average. But there is still much work to be done.
