National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month
Unity creates community. And together we can make a huge difference.
August is National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month. Of the nearly 1,300 Coloradans waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, nearly half on the transplant waitlist are from multiethnic communities. Together we can save and heal lives.
Together We Can Save and Heal Lives
National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month (NMDAM), observed nationally the entire month of August, is dedicated to save and improve the quality of life of multicultural communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donation.
NMDAM, observed nationally the entire month of August, is dedicated to save and improve the quality of life of multicultural communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donation. The observance, founded by National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), highlights the need within multicultural communities, provides organ and tissue donation education, encourages donor registration and promotes healthy living and disease prevention to decrease the need for transplantation, while honoring those multicultural donors who said Yes to donation and gave the gift of light.
While organs are not matched according to race or ethnicity, transplant matches made within multiethnic groups can be more compatible. That is one of the many reasons it is so important for people of color to sign up to become organ, eye and tissue donors. We invite you to read our Donation Essentials article “Does race matter in organ transplants?” to learn more about the observance.