In the movie “John Q,” Denzel Washington portrays a father who goes to extreme lengths to ensure that his son receives a lifesaving heart transplant. While this film is a work of fiction, it effectively portrays the desperation experienced by countless individuals, particularly within the Black community who are in need of an o . August is (NMDAM), and the goal of the month is to raise awareness and increase donor registration in communities of color.
According to , there are currently over 100,000 people are waiting on the national transplant list. Out of that number, 60% of the people on the list belong to a racial or ethnic minority. Every day, 17 people die “waiting for a transplant.
” A 2023 report from “shows that there is a significant need for more organ donors of Black and Asian heritage, in order to help the growing number of patients waiting for life-saving transplants.” Even though “organs are not matched based on race or ethnicity,” Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA), the proteins in most of our body’s cells, make more compatible when performed within similar ethnic groups. “Our parents pass down these antigens as a unique set, regulating the immune system.
” Furthermore, historically HLA antigens have not matched as well when transplanting organs between Black and white candidates and donors. Given health disparities like the list wherein more than 1/3 of the list consists of Black patients, but makeup approximately 13% of the population, this me.