Diversifying Organ

Donation

Asian-Americans make up only 3.1 percent of donors, but doctors are working to raise awareness in the community.

In the U.S., April marks National Donate Life month, which raises awareness of the need for organ, eye, and tissue donors to help save lives across the country. While Asian Americans make up 9 percent of organ transplant waiting list, only 3.1 percent of transplanted organs were from Asian American donors in 2020.

“The need for liver transplant is especially critical due to high incidence of hepatitis and liver failure among Asian Americans,” says Dr. Vasanthi Balaraman, a specialist in Transplant Nephrology at the Methodist Le Bonheur James D. Eason Transplant Institute in Memphis.

Once an organ is transplanted into a sick patient, the results can be nothing short of amazing. “You can take a person with end-stage liver disease, on the brink of death, and give them this new liver, which is really a gift of life,” says Dr. Priya Grewal, a liver transplantation specialist at Mount Sinai. “He or she is then going to have a very long and productive life, provided everything falls into place.”

Increasing awareness among potential donors and their families can make a dramatic impact in the levels of donation. “When an unfortunate thing happened to their loved one—whether it was an accident or stroke or heart attack—the loved one’s legacy can continue,” says Dr. Grewal. “They can impact five or six different lives.”

While you can register in most states to be an organ donor at the DMV when you renew your driver’s license, you can also register at organdonor.gov, which shows state-bystate instructions on how to sign up.

Organizations have been using the hashtag #DiversifyDonations across social media to help spread the word to underrepresented communities about the life-saving impact organ and tissue donation can have for individuals and families struggling with lifethreatening conditions.

Become A Living Donor

While most organ donations still come from the deceased, living donation has become more viable in recent years. Living donors, who are physically and mentally screened before surgery, typically return to full health and live normal lives, while also helping to save another life while they’re alive. For resources on how to become one or find answers to questions, visit transplantliving.org.

CREDITS