With over 100,000 people waiting for organ donation, organizers of a block party outside Howard University Hospital on Sunday hope to break the barriers to health care for people of color.
Talisha Taylor underwent an organ transplant in 2022. She is one of the few people who matched.
“I've been waiting for my liver for eight years,” Taylor said. “It's been a long and difficult eight years. I've always felt 20 years of hospital in and out. I was in the hospital for a few weeks at a time.”
Taylor was eventually transplanted, but a long list of people across the country awaits the organs. So, Howard University Health Center partnered with Infinite Legacy and Black Health Connect to throw the summer at a district block party.
“We recognize that the biggest problem with transplants is the lack of donors,” said Dr. Clive Calendar, PhD, of Minority Organ Teacher Transplanted. program. “A lack of donors means 17 people die every day, and the people who need organs and tissues most are people of color, especially African Americans.”
According to data from the organ procurement and transport network, there are over 116,000 requests for organ donation, with 62% of those waiting for an organ being ethnic minority.
Although donations do not match race or ethnicity, a more diverse pool of donors means more access for those on the waiting list. So the group is trying to reach out to the community to empower them on the effects of becoming an organ donor.
When you receive a letter that reads “Thank you for the donation,” you receive the letter, and when young adults who need the kidneys, older people who need the liver they need, it's really time to go home,” said Roger Mitchell Jr. of Howard University Hospital. “We don't understand how important that liver, its kidneys, or its heart is to the person receiving it.”
Block Party participants were given access to health screening, mental wellness support and gifts.
“The major barrier to healthcare in many communities. Some people don't have access to primary care and don't understand blood pressure rates, diabetes, or minimum blood sugar levels,” said Duclas Charles, founder of Black Health Connect.
The goal is not only to educate people about becoming organ donors, but to prevent the need for future donors by promoting a healthy lifestyle.
“It's good to go outside and raise awareness about the cause,” Taylor said.
