After all the Black community has been through, it can be difficult to trust the nation’s healthcare system. But mistrust of organ donation doesn’t help our cause because people are dying.
Nearly 32,000 Black Americans need an organ transplant, often due to high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes. Black people make up only 14% of the national population but received 23% of all transplants last year—including 168 Black patients in St. Louis. These are our family members, friends, coworkers and neighbors.
Organs aren’t assigned by race, but successful transplants are more likely when the donor and recipient share similar genetic backgrounds. That means when there aren’t enough donors like us, our loved ones wait longer for a match. And longer isn’t an option for someone already facing a three- to five-year wait for a lifesaving kidney.
It’s uncomfortable to think about death. And there are myths out there. Let’s address a few.
First, paramedics will always do everything they can to save your life, and being a registered donor doesn’t change that. Every major religion supports donation. You can still have an open-casket funeral. Race, income, or fame have no impact on where someone ranks on the national transplant list.
Just last year, 63 Black donors in our region gave the gift of life. That’s 63 families who, even in their grief, helped give others a second chance.
Many in our community have had difficult experiences with the healthcare system, feeling unheard, facing barriers to care, or carrying the weight of past injustices. Those feelings are valid.
We also have the opportunity to move forward in a way that benefits the health of our community. Choosing to become an organ donor is a way to do that—by showing up for each other and giving hope where it’s needed most.
Part of my job with Mid-America Transplant is being out in the community to share accurate information and encourage open, honest conversations to help people understand what’s at stake and why their decisions matter.
And your decision matters immensely. Just one person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and heal up to 75 more through tissue and eye donation. It’s a deeply personal decision, but it’s also an act of solidarity, compassion, and legacy.
Many people don’t know how the donation process works or how closely it’s managed to ensure equity and transparency.
When a patient passes away and is eligible for organ donation, they’re evaluated by medical professionals, not someone looking at their income, zip code, or background. There are strict national guidelines that make sure every match is based on medical needs and not social status.
We also need more open conversations about this topic at home, at church, and in trusted community spaces. Families are more likely to honor someone’s wishes if they’ve had a conversation ahead of time. By talking about it now, we take pressure off our loved ones and give them clarity during a difficult time. It becomes a legacy decision and not a last-minute question while they are overcome with shock and grief.
As someone who collaborates closely with both donor families and recipients, I’ve seen both sides. I’ve seen moms and dads say yes to donation in the midst of heartbreak and find healing in knowing their child saved another family.
I’ve seen patients on dialysis for years finally receive a call that changes everything. I’ve watched people go from barely surviving to thriving because someone else was brave enough to register.
That’s the real story of organ donation. It’s about resilience. It’s about faith. It’s about a community coming together to save ourselves.
Sometimes, people ask me, “What difference does one person make?” The truth is everything. One person can restore a child’s eyesight, give a father more years with his family, help a teenager walk again, or offer someone on the brink of death a second chance. And that ripple effect touches everyone around them.
This is how we take care of each other. This is one way we can heal forward. It’s not just about signing up. It’s about educating ourselves and each other. We must shift the conversation from fear to facts and from silence to action. We can’t change the past, but we can change the future for someone still waiting.
Say yes to organ donation. Say yes to saving lives.
Dr. Jeanna Knight oversees community outreach at Mid-America Transplant. To learn more or register, visit www.SayYesGiveLife.org.