Indiana needs more minority donors of organs

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Black candidates wait longer than non-Black candidates for kidney, heart and lung transplants, on average, statistics show.

According to Indiana Donor Network, 60% of people needing an organ are people of color, and, if more people from multicultural communities donate, more lives can be saved.

More than 100,000 people in America are waiting on organs, which is more than a sold-out game at Lucas Oil Stadium, and 1,000 of the people live in Indiana.

One donor can save eight lives and heal up to 75 people.

Jamie Taylor waited four years. She got a call six times about a donor organ for her, but all six turned out not to be a match.

“Then on the seventh call, I hit the jackpot,” Taylor said.

She says her experience inspired a new life mission to help people in multicultural communities. “I’m able to tell my story. I’m able to go out for outreach opportunities to educate and encourage people to sign up for donation.”

Educating people about donation is one thing, but convincing people that their organs will be used for the right reasons is a challenge.

Taylor said, ‘It’s just sad that they don’t know the true facts because we really do need more minorities to be organ donors.”

The nonprofits Indiana Donor Network and Donate Life Indiana also want Hoosier minorities to consider organ donation. Although organs aren’t matched based on race and ethnicity, diversity among organ donors and blood types results in a better transplantation outcome.

Taylor said, “If you are a donor and you’ve got a rare blood type, you could be saving the life of that one match who is actually waiting for you to sign up.”

Black Americans are more than three times as likely to experience kidney failure compared to white Americans. Hispanics and Latinos are 1.3 times more likely.

Taylor said, “At a certain time in our life, we’re actually going to die. It’s something you can’t control, and it’s going to happen. At that point in time, you can still live. You can save somebody else.”

She just happy to live life despite the health challenges she’s faced.

She also has a bond with her donor hero’s family. “We keep in touch and go out to dinner occasionally.”

Related coverage

• Indiana Donor Network: Honoring National Minority Donor Awareness Month
• Thousands of Hoosiers await organ transplants