August 10, 2023 – August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is encouraging minorities and people of color to join the state’s organ donation registry.
“My hope is that communities across Illinois of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities can be informed and have a positive outlook on organ donation and its life-saving impacts,” Giannoulias said. “There is an especially great need for organ donation within communities of color, and the more people learn about it, the more likely they are to be donors.”
During the month, Giannoulias is working to create a positive culture around organ donation in multicultural communities through outreach and education.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black people have the greatest need for organ transplants, specifically for kidneys, hearts and lungs.
Of the total number of people waiting for a transplant in Illinois, more than 36% are Black, 22% are Hispanic and 6% are Asian American.
While transplants are not matched according to race or ethnicity, people of color who are waiting for an organ transplant will have a better chance of receiving one if there are more donors from their racial or ethnic background.
“The more diverse our organ donor registry, the more likely we will be able to find matches and save the lives of all those in need of a transplant,” Giannoulias said.
To become a donor, Illinoisans can register with the Secretary of State’s Organ and Tissue Donor Registry by visiting LifeGoesOn.com, calling 800-210-2106 or signing up at the DMV.
