Carolina Donor Services homepage
Get the facts Donor Families Hospitals Community Resources
Donate Life
   
 
Stories of hope
News
Volunteer
Employment
Events Calendar
Links/Partner
En Español
About us
Contact us
MINORITY OUTREACH

The need for organ and tissue transplants and the shortage of donors affects people of all races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds. However, certain minority groups are more widely affected by the diseases that can cause the need for an organ transplant. Because these diseases are more common among minorities, they are more likely to need dialysis treatments - or kidney transplants. In fact, nearly half of the people on the national waiting list for organs are minorities. By contrast, only about 25% of donors are minorities.

Did you know?

  • African-Americans make up 21.6 percent of North Carolina's overall population, but represent nearly 52 percent of North Carolinians waiting for an organ transplant.
  • Of the more than 1,600 African-Americans waiting for transplants in North Carolina, 59 percent are waiting for a kidney transplant.
  • 41.7 percent of African-American waiting for a transplant are between the ages of 50 and 64, and 32.6 percent are between the ages of 35 and 49.
  • 17 percent of all patients awaiting organ transplants in the United States are of Latino heritage.
  • The majority of Latino patients are waiting for kidney transplants.
  • Diabetes, a leading cause of kidney failure in the US, is estimated to be four to six times more common in Latinos/ Hispanic-Americans.
  • African-Americans are four times more likely than Caucasians to be on dialysis because of kidney failure, which must often be treated by kidney transplantation.
 
North Carolina State Transplant Waiting List
 

All

Organs

Kidney
Liver
Pancreas

Kidney/

Pancreas

Heart
Lung

Heart/

Lung

Intestine

All

Ethnicities

3,252
2,732
363
32
85
118
66
1
1
White
1,453
1,006
291
25
56
70
51
1
1
Black
1,708
1,591
48
7
25
44
14
0
0
Hispanic
57
48
6
0
1
3
0
0
0
Asian
60
49
10
0
1
1
0
0
0

American Indian/

Alaska Native

38
34
4
0
1
0
0
0
0
Pacific Islander
3
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Multiracial
9
4
4
0
1
0
1
0
0
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN as of June 25, 2010). For updated information, go to www.optn.org.

 

National Transplant Waiting List
 

All

Organs

Kidney
Liver
Pancreas

Kidney/

Pancreas

Heart
Lung

Heart/

Lung

Intestine

All

Ethnicities

107,991
85,512
16,127
1,459
2,185
3,154
1,770
79
250
White
49,045
33,003
11,198
1,146
1,368
2,189
1,447
53
158
Black
31,612
29,441
1,207
162
464
631
175
10
42
Hispanic
18,883
15,658
2,785
119
269
242
105
13
40
Asian
6,754
5,926
769
18
35
49
28
0
8

American Indian/

Alaska Native

1,035
903
106
12
25
5
6
1
0
Pacific Islander
508
474
25
1
11
5
3
0
0
Multiracial
509
410
60
2
13
23
8
2
2
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN as of June 25, 2010). For updated information, go to www.optn.org.

One person of any creed, race or ethic origin can donate organs and tissue that can benefit over 50 people.

If you have an interest in helping to raise awareness about critical donation and transplantation issues among minorities, please contact Carolina Donor Services at 1-800-200-2672 or info@carolinadonorservices.org.

Links
Donate Life America – www.donatelife.net
Done Vida - www.donevida.org

 

 

 
Get the facts | Volunteer | Stories of hope | Events calendar | Links/partners | About us | Hospitals
Community resources | News | Employment | En Español | Contact us | Sitemap
 
3621 Lyckan Parkway Durham, North Carolina 27707
Phone 1-800-200-2672 • Email info@carolinadonorservices.org
Copyright © 2010 Carolina Donor Services