News & Stories

Observed annually from September 15 – October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to celebrate and honor the generosity of Hispanic donors and their families, while also underscoring the critical need for people from this diverse community to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. While more than 4,200 Hispanics received organ transplants in 2014, myths regarding donation continue to be major barriers preventing many Hispanics from becoming registered donors.

We encourage you to read Deyra’s story.

“At the end of the day, I am grateful for the fact that I am here and I am able to just be. I am able to be a mother to my son and offer love and guidance when he needs it. I am able to be a wife and build a home and a foundation for our family – and that is all thanks to my donor.”

STATISTICS

• There are currently 23,116 Hispanics on the organ transplant waiting list.
• While Hispanics make up approximately 17 percent of the total United States population, almost 20 percent of the more than 123,000 persons awaiting organ transplants are Hispanic.
• Hispanics, like other minorities, are three times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from end stage renal disease and diabetes.
• Tragically, every 10 minutes another patient is added to the waiting list and 22 people die each day due to lack of an available organ.
• Approximately 58 percent of all those awaiting organ transplants are minorities.
• In 2014, nearly 13 percent of organ donors were Hispanic.
• Currently, 20,026 Hispanics in the U.S. are waiting for kidney transplants. For these patients, the lack of available organs means longer waiting periods on transplant lists, years spent on dialysis, and sometimes death.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Anyone can be a potential donor, regardless of age or medical history.
• A single donor can save or heal the lives of more than 50 people through organ, eye and tissue donation.
• Every major religion in the United States supports organ, eye and tissue donation as one of the highest expressions of compassion and generosity.
• There is no cost to the donor’s family or estate.
• An open casket funeral is possible for organ, eye and tissue donors.

Statistics from Organ Procurement and Transplant Network