Join Us in Raising Awareness This August 

National Minority Donor Awareness Month is a collaborative initiative of the National Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Multicultural Action Group to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donation. National Minority Donor Awareness Month stems from National Minority Donor Awareness Week, founded in 1996 by the National MOTTEP to bring heightened awareness to donation and transplantation in multicultural communities focusing primarily on African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native communities.

National Minority Donor Awareness Month is focused on outreach and education, including virtual events and messaging to:

  • Provide education about organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation 
  • Encourage donor registration & family conversations about donation
  • Promote healthy living and disease prevention to decrease the need for transplantation

The Need is Real

Did you know that 60% of people currently on the United States organ transplant waiting list are from multicultural backgrounds? We can all save and change more lives by increasing awareness of eye, organ and tissue donation among our multicultural communities. 

What Can I Do?

Almost anyone can share the gifts of sight and life. Your gender, blood type, age and race don’t affect your ability to donate. Neither should the diagnosis of cancer, diabetes or poor vision. The only step you need to take is to join the donor registry in your state.

Join Your State’s Eye, Tissue & Organ Donor Registry

The easiest way to pledge to become an eye donor is to add your name to the eye, organ and tissue donation registry at RegisterMe.org. An eye, organ and tissue donor registry is a simple and confidential way to make your wishes about donation known to your family after you’re gone. This removes the burden from your family during a difficult and heartbreaking time in their lives. In addition, the registries allow you to choose which organs and tissue you wish to donate, and you have the opportunity to remove yourself from the list if you change your mind.

Talk to Your Family About Eye Donation

Another important step in making your decision to become an eye donor is letting your family know about your wishes, even if you join a first-person donor registry. By informing them of your pledge ahead of time, there will be no question of your decision upon your passing.

In cases where an individual has not joined the organ and tissue donor registry, the next of kin will be asked to give the final consent for donation upon death. If your family knows of your wishes ahead of time, it will be easier for them to give consent, which helps to save the sight of up to two people in need.

 

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