Jennifer Moe
Director of Communications/PR
Donor Alliance
303-329-4747

OPINION-EDITORIAL: LATINOS URGED TO TALK WITH THEIR FAMILIES ABOUT ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION, THEN TAKE ACTION

I am the wife of a kidney recipient and have seen the power and giving spirit of donation personally impact my family. I am writing to encourage the Latino community and all Coloradans to consider organ and tissue donation this month, then talk with their families about the importance of registering this decision. In Colorado more than 1,770 people are waiting for an organ transplant; 21 percent of those waiting are Latino.

Four years ago, my husband needed a kidney transplant due to complications from diabetes. While we were very fortunate that our nephew was a willing and eligible donor, many others are not so lucky and wait many years to receive the gift of an organ transplant.

Diabetes, a leading cause of heart and kidney disease, disproportionately affects Latinos in the United States. While this increases the need for organ transplants in the Latino community, studies have shown that Latinos are less likely than the general population to register as organ donors.

This is partly due to several misconceptions that keep our community from donating. One myth is the belief that doctors will not work as hard to save the life of a person who has indicated he or she wishes to be a donor. This is simply untrue. The first priority of a medical professional is to save their patient.

In Colorado, of the Latinos waiting for a transplant, 67 percent are in need of a kidney. Living donors offer another option to donate to another person in need. Our nephew gave my husband the gift of life, but there are many others in need of such a gift today.

Save a life. Tell your family your decision to be an organ and tissue donor and register your decision at www.ColoradoDonorRegistry.org or by calling 1-888-256-4386.

You can also register at the DMV when you obtain or renew your driver’s license.

Authored by:
Sally Tenorio, Thornton, CO

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