Deputy Secretary Edevbie highlights importance of organ donation in multicultural communities during National Minority Donor Awareness Month

DETROIT, Mich. - Today, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edvebie marked the start of National Minority Donor Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation in multicultural communities. He joined a liver transplant recipient and advocates from Authority Health and Gift of Life Michigan to share personal stories and encourage residents to join the millions of Michiganders already listed on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.

"Simply put, Black lives are being saved by organ donation," said Deputy Secretary of State Edevbie. "That means... more people are given another chance at life, a chance to spend more time with their families, to achieve their dreams, to grow old. Those people deserve those opportunities. By closing the gaps in the numbers, we can save lives within our community and beyond."

"At Authority Health, we know that trusted conversations between patients and their healthcare providers can make all the difference," said Loretta V. Bush, president and CEO of Authority Health and Authority Health Centers. "National Minority Donor Awareness Month is an important opportunity to ensure our communities have accurate and culturally responsive information about organ, eye and tissue donation. By working together with partners like Gift of Life Michigan, we can help address longstanding gaps in health outcomes and empower people to make informed, lifesaving decisions."

"Michigan has shown that when we invest in education, partner with trusted community organizations and strengthen relationships, we can close gaps and create more opportunities to save lives," said Dorrie Dils, president and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan. "That investment has led to growth in multicultural registrations and a decline in deaths of those waiting in our state by 45%."

"We have a special task ahead of us," said Dr. Silas Norman, transplant nephrologist at University of Michigan Health and executive chair of Detroit Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) Board. "You've seen and heard the great successes we've had over the last 30 years with growth of registered donors from multicultural communities and transplants from that population, which helps everyone. Despite that, we know that there are still some challenges. There are some 2,600 Michiganders who are still waiting for these lifechanging organs, which is a challenge, but I know we can continue to meet this challenge as we have for the last 30 years, partnering together and working together to make our communities healthier."

At the age of 13, Detroit resident Lauren Royall learned she had elevated liver enzymes during routine blood work and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which ultimately led to cirrhosis of the liver. She experienced symptoms of jaundice, fatigue, nausea, itchiness, rashes, and hyperpigmentation. Around the age of 28, a doctor told Royall she needed a liver transplant.

"With my mother's birthday approaching, I asked her, 'what would you like for your birthday?' She responded with, 'a liver for you,'" said Royall, a liver transplant recipient. "I received my third and final call on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, and I was successfully transferred the following day on April 22, my mother's birthday. Words will never express the gratitude and emotions that I feel to be given a second chance and the honor that I have. To my donor and his family, thank you for the gift of life."

Dr. Clive Callender and the National MOTTEP established National Minority Donor Awareness Month in 1996 to shine a light on the health disparities that continue to affect multicultural communities while encouraging conversations about organ, eye and tissue donation.

According to Gift of Life Michigan, more than 2,600 people in the state are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Nationally, more than 100,000 are waiting. Nearly 60% of those waiting nationally are from multicultural communities. Since 2020, multicultural registrations on the Donor Registry have grown from 33% to 55%. During that same time frame, transplants for Black patients have increased by 29% while deaths on Michigan's waiting list for Black patients has dropped by 67%.

Gift of Life Michigan is the state's federally designated organ and tissue recovery program, providing all services necessary for organ donation in Michigan. Anyone can join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, regardless of their health or age. Those considering joining are encouraged to discuss the decision with their family. Thanks to the growing registry, deaths on Michigan's waitlist are down 34%.

More information is available online at mi.gov/organdonation and GiftofLifeMichigan.org.

Watch the full news conference on the Michigan Department of State's YouTube page.

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Note to broadcasters: Deputy Secretary Aghogho Edevbie (AH-go-go Eh-day-vee-ay)