Summertime is usually a festive season for many of us. Holidays abound, kids are out of school, and some families are taking vacations. As we observe National Minority Donor Awareness Month, this is also a unique time for the donor and transplant community (NMDAM). This national holiday is observed during the entire month of August to raise awareness of the urgent need for more multiracial donors of organs, eyes, tissue and blood.
National Minority Donor Awareness Month is a joint effort to promote organ, eye, tissue and blood donation and to save and enhance the quality of life in different communities. The most underrepresented group in both living and deceased donation is the minorities.
More than 100,000 Americans are currently on the transplant waiting list, and 60% of them are members of racial or ethnic minorities. Minorities frequently have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, all of which can lead to organ failure, particularly kidney failure. Kidney failure is three times more common in African Americans than in Caucasians, and it is 1.5 times more common in Hispanic Americans than in non-Hispanics. Being a donor is a gift that each year gives thousands of people hope and healing. Eight lives can be saved by one donor through organ donation, over 75 people can be healed through tissue donation, and two people's sight can be restored through cornea donation. Not to mention the countless ways blood donations can save lives.
WHERE AND HOW TO DONATE:
- Register Your Intent to Donate in the US. Visit: https://www.organdonor.gov/sign-up
- Register Your Intent to Donate in Canada. Visit: https://organtissuedonation.ca/
- Find a location near you to donate blood. Visit: www.redcrossblood.org
Being a donor is not the only way you can take part in this special awareness month, just by simply living a healthy life, you'd not only be able to help a lot of people, but you would also do yourself an immense amount of favor and reduce your risk of needing a donor.
You can start today by reviewing the ingredients in the products you use regularly, and avoid using products that have harmful chemicals, or by always making sure that you know what you are eating and how it will affect your body. Focusing on healthy foods that are natural, non-GMO, organic, vegan and gluten-free is also a great start. – With Julo’s Amazing Black-Owned brands for pantry, you will have a large selection of products that are healthy, sustainable, vegan, with fair trade needs, and brands that give back and actively support the community.
It's never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle can not only make you feel better, but it can also extend your life, lower your risk of contracting certain diseases, protect the environment, and save you money.