National Minority Donor Awareness Day

Sunday, August 1 is National Minority Donor Awareness Day. This day is observed every August 1 to increase awareness of organ donation among African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander and Native American populations.

Currently, 108,000 Americans waiting for organ transplants. Nearly 60,000 of those waiting are minorities.

Unfortunately, there is a drastic shortage of minority organ donors. In fact, last year only 2,055 organ donors were African American, and only 2,031 donors were Hispanic.

Are you an organ donor? If you'd like to learn more about organ donation and how to register as a donor, visit the Transplant Challenge section of our website. If you are interested in being tested to be a living donor for someone, contact the patient's transplant center to begin the evaluation process.