OHIO — As August comes to an end, Lifebanc officials are making an effort to highlight National Minority Donor Awareness Month.
“There's still a tremendous need, you know, right here in Northeast Ohio alone, there are 40% of the state's minority individuals who are on the waiting list,” said Lifebanc Community Outreach Program Manager Edmund Wilson.
According to Wilson, there is a significant disparity in minority and communities of color when it comes to those in need of an organ transplant and the availability of donors.
One reason Wilson said this is a challenge is due to misinformation, which he said leads to medical mistrust.
“There are a lot of cultural stigmas, a lot of cultural beliefs and barriers that, that we have to overcome,” said Wilson.
Once this happens, Wilson said he’s hopeful this critical need will be addressed.
But in the meantime, he believes people like 75-year-old Charlene Johnson-Boyd can share her story of being a heart transplant recipient to inspire others.
“I like to spread, spread the word, you know, about all the things that I've learned,” said Johnson-Boyd.
In early 2020, doctors diagnosed Charlene with end-stage heart failure after they told her they couldn’t do anything more because of her age.
That’s when Charlene said she decided she would keep fighting, and eventually received a new heart and now she’s still here.
“It gives me another chance to really do some of the things that I've, that I've always wanted to do and that's to give back to my community,” said Johnson-Boyd.
“We bring awareness so that families can have those conversations, educate the public and individuals so that they can make informed decisions to join the National Donor Registry so that we can continue to impact lives like Charlene and others,” said Wilson.
