Blood and tissue donation is the gift of life:

Below are some links providing information about blood, organ and tissue donation and about how you can become a donor - how you can give the gift of life. There are more than 87,000 persons on the national transplant waiting list.  About 50% are minorities including:

More than 25,000 African Americans

More than 11,000 Latinos

More than 4,000 Asian Pacific Americans

Sixteen people die each day waiting for life saving transplants. A new name is added to the national waiting list every 16 minutes.  African Americans comprise more than 26% of the total transplant waiting list although they represent just 12% of the U.S. population.  In Illinois, African Americans are 15% of the population, but make up more than 35% of the state's transplant waiting list.

National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program

This page last updated: 11/12/2004