Donate Life NC has crafted some wonderful messages to be shared across the state throughout the month of September to help in our joint goal of inspiring more North Carolinians to register as donors.
These messages can be shared by an individual or both internally and externally by an organization. Internal suggestions include: electronic message boards in hospitals and clinics, employee intranets and email messages. Externally, share these via social media — and be sure you are following HonorBridge on Facebook and Donate Life NC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest.
Messages to Share
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 – October 15. Remember to let your staff, clients and patients know that the Donate Life North Carolina website is fully accessible in Spanish at Register as a Donor! If you need Spanish language outreach materials, please let them know.
Why focus on organ, eye and tissue donation for National Hispanic Heritage Month?
The lives of more than 4,000 Hispanics in the United States were saved last year through organ donation and transplantation. Many thousands more restored their sight, health and mobility through cornea or tissue transplants. National Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time to celebrate the recipients and honor the donors who made their transplants possible through their decision to register as a donor.
Why is it important for Hispanics to become donors?
- While the most recent U.S. census data listed Hispanics as approximately 17 percent of the total U.S. population, 19 percent of the more than 122,000 people who are waiting for organ transplants are Hispanic.
- Hispanics, like other minorities, are three times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from end stage renal failure and diabetes.
- Tragically, every 10 minutes another patient is added to the waiting list and 18 people die each day due to lack of organs.
Is there a greater need for any particular organ among Hispanics?
- Currently, more than 19,500 Hispanics in the United States 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.
September 22 – 28: National Historically Black Colleges & Universities Week.
Highlight disproportionate waiting list numbers for Blacks and other minorities. As a reminder, we’ve attached our fact sheet for National Minority Donor Awareness.
Stories to Share
Althea Williams – Althea Williams reflects on how a transplant recipient can ever truly find the right words to say “thank you” for the gift of life. Her story also demonstrates that #donationiscolorblind.
Sandra Coley –Sandra highlights a common barrier for minorities joining the organ and tissue donor registry by sharing her son’s decision to donate. D Jay used his faith to overcome any perceived fears of donation, and he graciously gave the gift of life to others. Sandra is an ordained minister, scholar, and donor mother.
Coach William Knight – Coach William Knight underwent dialysis for six days a week for three-and-a-half years before he received a second chance thanks to a selfless donor.
Sharon and Harold’s story: a love story, a faith story and a living donation story wrapped in one!
Bobby Height – a former NY Yankee and school teacher from the Charlotte area, Bobby is a strong advocate for donation after receiving a heart transplant.
September 26: National Thank You Day
This is a great time to encourage transplant recipients and those affected by donation and transplantation to write to their donor families, living donors, caregivers, medical support team, and others who helped them along with their journey. We’ll be thanking all those who have registered their wishes to be organ, eye and tissue donors.
Upcoming
National Donor Sabbath Weekend is November 14-16, 2014.
