Commentary: Consider organ donation

2 hours ago 6

Facing our mortality is hard for many people. In the Latino community, talking about death is often avoided and may even seem taboo. Having the opportunity to consider the end of our life and make purposeful choices about that inevitable time is an important part of ensuring our death can have substantial meaning.

One important end-of-life decision many families may not discuss together is organ donation. Learning the facts about organ donation and considering registering as a donor are helpful steps to take early on in life. If you are a registered organ donor, we thank you. Whether you have already registered online or at the DMV, be proactive about discussing your registration and wishes with your loved ones. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s important you also have the opportunity to make this type of generous gesture before it’s too late. Your willingness to register could inspire family, friends and neighbors to be just as thoughtful. An organ donor’s gift can change the lives of up to eight recipients and impact countless others who are connected to that recipient. From death can come an enduring, heroic legacy. At Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, for nearly 50 years we have seen that organ donation not only helps donor recipients. It also brings meaning, comfort and pride to grieving loved ones.

There’s grief in loss, and also grief that we experience watching a loved one’s health decline. Perhaps someone you know or love may be enduring that particular sorrow. The stats show this pain is all too familiar in our society. More than 104,000 individuals across the U.S. are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. In Texas, more than 10,000 people are waiting. Twenty people die each day waiting for an organ, but we can help change that unfortunate reality. If more people from the Rio Grande Valley sign up to be potential organ donors, that means more opportunities for someone you may know to find a compatible match if they ever need an organ transplant. This is especially important for people from Hispanic and Black communities to consider.

The majority of people on an organ transplant waiting list come from a racial or ethnic minority group. More than 40% of Texans on the transplant waiting list are Hispanic, and more than 25% are from the Black community. Similar to the national need, the majority of Texans waiting for an organ are waiting for a kidney and about 60% of those waiting in Texas are a person of color.

In South Texas, around 80% of people waiting for a kidney are Hispanic or Latino. Research from the National Kidney Foundation shows that people of color have an increased risk for kidney disease. Today, one in three people is at risk for kidney disease. In Texas, Hispanic and Black community members have a higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes — two conditions that lead to renal failure. There’s a need for more organ donations now, and trends indicate there will continue to be more people in the future who will most likely develop renal failure — ultimately requiring a kidney transplant. Dialysis may offer a patient quantity of life, but a kidney donation offers patients a greater quality of life.

According to the most current registration rates from Donate Life Texas, only 50% of the population in Hidalgo County are registered organ donors. This is the lowest percentage of the 15 major counties within our service area. Compare that to Williamson County, which has a 93% registration rate of potential organ donors. Someone in need of an organ around Williamson County may have a higher likelihood of finding a match sooner compared to the RGV. The more people signed up, the greater the chance of finding the right match, faster.

You may know someone who may be suffering from renal failure now or who has succumbed to the disease. The RGV is full of familia — blood relatives and compadres we connect to as family in many ways. Register as a donor to increase the odds that someone you know may find help where and when they need it. Consider signing up as a potential donor or learn more facts about the process at tosa1.org.

Joe Nespral is president and CEO of Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, based in San Antonio.