African Americans and Organ Donation- 29.2% are waiting !

African Americans are the largest group of minorities in need of an organ transplant.



http://www.organdonor.gov/awareness_day/minorityaa.html









African Americans have higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure than Caucasians, increasing the risk of organ failure. African Americans comprise 13% of the population, 32% of those waiting for a kidney, and 20% of those waiting for a heart.
29.2%

of those currently waiting for an organ donation are African American.






Gabriel Clark
Kidney Recipient
Jazmyne Davis
Organ Donor
Caleb Davy
Kidney Recipient
Debbie Delgado-Vega
Liver Recipient
Yatska Diaz
Kidney Recipient
Bill Falafasa Ala'ilima
Organ Donor
Rhonda Kay Flores
Organ Donor
Tommy Frieson
Donation Professional
Debbie Mann Gibbs
Donation Professional
Ernest Goh
Organ Donor
Sergio Gomez
Kidney Recipient
Alvin Grant
Heart Recipient
Shutong Hao
Heart Recipient
Bobby Height, Sr.
Heart Recipient
Christina Janis
Cornea Recipient
Reverend Charles Jenkins
Donation Advocate
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Organ and Tissue Donor
Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan
Organ and Cornea Donor
Anne Laumer
Organ Donor
Daisy Lobos
Organ Donor
Ruben Lopez, MD
Tissue Recipient and Living Donor
Jessica Melore
Heart Recipient
Daw Khin Myint, MD
Organ Donor
Janet Ocasio
Liver Recipient
Kelly Olmo
Liver Recipient
Alejandro Ortiz
Cornea Recipient
Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH
Organ Donor
Patrick Pruitt
Cornea Transplant Recipient
Klarissa Ramirez
Kidney Recipient
George Rivera
Heart Recipient
Manuel Salazar
Tissue Recipient
Nicholas Sambilay
Liver Recipient
Sabrina Smith
Kidney and Pancreas Recipient
Brandon Spight
Organ Donor
Lorraine Spradling
Donor Mom and Advocate
Stephen Sprague
Bone Marrow Recipient
Ken Sutha
Kidney Recipient
Gene Ushiroda
Organ Donor
Mireya Vallina
Kidney Recipient
Mikey Weathersby
Liver Recipient
Donald Wong
Heart Recipient
Jason Zhao
Heart Recipient




Life Stories: A Chance to Be Just Like Other Children

Khalieghya Dandie-Evans

Liver Recipient: Emeryville, CA

As an infant, Khalieghya Dandie-Evans was diagnosed with biliary atresia, meaning she had a blockage in the tubes that carried bile from her liver to her gallbladder. Doctors performed the Kasai Procedure to connect the bile ducts together; however, the surgery was unsuccessful. It soon became clear that baby Khalieghya needed a liver transplant to survive.

Khalieghya was put on the national transplant waiting list for a liver, but her mother worried that she might get bumped by a case considered more severe. Khalieghya was five months old when her family received word that they had found a liver match. Khalieghya's mother was amazed that another family was able to see through their own grief and make a decision to donate their child's organs.


“What an amazing gift that mother would give to me and my family. I will be forever grateful.”

— Khalieghya Dandie-Evans's mother

Khalieghya is just like other kids. She plays, runs, sings, dances, spins, jumps, hugs, kisses, loves people, goes outdoors, and takes only one small dose of anti-rejection medication twice a day.