By Katie Payne, CEO, Lifebanc
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the generations of Hispanic and Latino Americans whose traditions, achievements and contributions have helped shape our communities and our country.
It is also an opportunity to have an important conversation about health, family and the lifesaving power of organ donation.
Across the United States, thousands of Hispanic and Latino patients are waiting for an organ transplant. Here in Northeast Ohio, 50 Hispanic people are currently waiting for the lifesaving gift of an organ. Conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease, which can ultimately lead to organ failure, disproportionately affect Hispanic communities.
But behind every person on the waiting list is a family waiting, too.
A lifesaving transplant can mean more time together — more holidays around the same table, more birthdays and graduations, more celebrations, more everyday moments and more memories to cherish. It can mean watching children grow up, welcoming grandchildren, returning to work or simply being there for the people you love.
That matters in every community. And during Hispanic Heritage Month, when we celebrate a culture in which family, connection and generations are so deeply valued, it is especially meaningful to remember that organ donation does not only transform the life of the person who receives a transplant. It gives families the possibility of more time together.
I understand donation from both a professional and deeply personal perspective. Today, I serve as CEO of Lifebanc, Northeast Ohio’s nonprofit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization, but my connection to this work began more than two decades ago. In 2004, my 25-year-old brother, Billy, died in a car accident and became a tissue donor. That experience has stayed with me throughout my career and has given me a profound understanding of the families whose generosity makes donation possible.
It has also taught me the importance of having conversations about donation before a family is faced with an unimaginable decision.
That is particularly meaningful during Hispanic Heritage Month because family plays such an important role in Hispanic and Latino communities. Decisions are often discussed together, and trust is built through relationships. When it comes to donation, those family conversations can be powerful. Talking about donation ahead of time gives the people closest to you an opportunity to understand your wishes and the values behind them.
Trust also matters.
We know there are questions and concerns about organ donation, particularly in communities that have historically experienced inequities or mistrust within the healthcare system. Those questions should never be dismissed. People deserve accurate information, culturally respectful conversations and the opportunity to make informed decisions for themselves and their families.
One persistent misconception is that being a registered organ donor could affect the medical care you receive in an emergency. It does not. The healthcare professionals caring for a patient have one priority: saving that patient’s life. Donation is considered only after lifesaving efforts have been exhausted and death has been declared.
Faith can also be part of the conversation. While individual beliefs are deeply personal, many major faith traditions support donation as an act of generosity and compassion.
Representation matters as well. Organ donation is not restricted by race or ethnicity, but some of the factors involved in matching can make compatible matches more likely among people with similar genetic backgrounds. Increasing donor registration within diverse communities can help create more opportunities for patients waiting for a transplant.
At Lifebanc, we have learned that reaching communities requires more than providing information. It means listening, building relationships and making resources accessible, including Spanish-language information and outreach within the communities we serve.
But perhaps the most important conversations happen at home.
Talk with your parents. Talk with your spouse or partner. Talk with your adult children. Ask questions, learn the facts and, most importantly, tell the people closest to you what you want.
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates family, community, tradition and generations of people caring for one another. Donation reflects many of those same values. It is an act that can connect families in extraordinary ways — one family choosing generosity during a moment of profound loss and another receiving the opportunity for more time with someone they love.
This month, I encourage families to add one more conversation to the many they share. Talk about organ, eye and tissue donation. Ask the questions you have. Learn the facts. And consider registering as a donor.
Because one decision has the potential to give another family something beyond measure: more time.
More holidays. More celebrations. More everyday moments. More memories to cherish.
More time together.