CLEVELAND — Chef and entrepreneur Jermayne Harris is trying to live his best life all while sharing his story of survival during National Minority Donor Awareness Month.
He's hoping to raise awareness and encourage organ donation regardless of age, gender, or race.
"When you think about it, on the other side of the coin is --you save somebody else's lives," said Jermayne Harris.
He's finding passion in his food truck business "Mayne Course" and staying busy —despite knowing his future may lie in the hands of a total stranger.
The 29-year-old Cleveland Clinic patient from Columbus, Ohio is actively waiting for a new heart.
But he's not giving up hope.
"I've been listed for about two years now, two and a half years, just patiently waiting and just trying to maintain a normal lifestyle while I wait," said Harris.
Harris' health went downhill at just 23 years old.
He entered heart failure after a virus traveled to his heart.
Surgeons implanted a heart defibrillator in 2017, slightly improving his heart function by 45%.
Just two years later he suffered a panic attack while at work.
His health continued to derail, and he says something felt seriously off.
He was eventually flown to the Cleveland Clinic for life-saving treatment, spending more than a week in the ICU.
Surgeons ultimately placed a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), which is a pump that essentially helps pump blood out of the heart to the rest of the body.
It's why he's alive today.
"Cleveland Clinic saved my life, you know, point blank period," said Harris.
Dr. Randall Starling, cardiologist in the heart failure section of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic treated Harris and closely monitored his road to recovery.
"Jermayne improved dramatically and quickly. And within a day or two, it was clear to us that Jermayne would be someone that would benefit from a heart transplant," said Starling.
Doctors say organ donation is critical for everyone but the numbers in minority communities speak volumes.
Research shows that 28.5% of total candidates currently waiting on transplants are Black.
Just 12.9 % of organ donors are Black, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.
As Harris waits for a transplant, he's hoping to change the stigma over organ donation during National Minority Donor Awareness month.
He wants to clear up confusion and dispel the myths that if you become an organ donor, you won't get the proper care.
"I'd like to think my job is really just to deliver the facts to people and educate people on exactly what the facts are and then hope, you know, to change their minds from there," said Harris.
Starling says he's immensely proud of Harris and his continuing efforts to increase organ donation across the U.S.
He wants to clear up confusion and dispel the myths that if you become an organ donor--you won't get the proper care--and highlight how easy it is to save another life.
"The most important lessons learned from Jermayne is--never give up," said Starling.
Harris is actively involved in the Lifeline of Ohio program where you can sign up to be an organ donor.
For more information and ways to register, click here.
MOTTEP (Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Plant) Cleveland is also a great resource and they are having an event on August 30.
