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| My friend Mike Freeman, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, and Me. |
According to organdonor.gov, of the more than 101,000 people in America waiting for a kidney transplant right now, more than a third of them are African American. So of course, more than a third of all African Americans are signed up to be organ donors, right?
What do you think?
No, seriously – what do you think?
The need for minority donors in this country – Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islanders, as well as blacks – is more crucial than ever. That's why I'm so proud of the efforts of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and his phenomenal "Life Goes On" initiative to register Illinois residents to become organ and tissue donors after – well, you know.
This week, White's office announced that the state's donor registry hit the astonishing mark of six million registrants. "I'm thrilled to see that Illinoisans continue to show their giving spirit by signing up for this lifesaving program," said White, who became personally immersed in organ donation decades ago when his sister needed a kidney, in a prepared statement.
"Our mission is to sign up everyone who is eligible in order to give others a second chance at life and end the waiting list for the approximately 5,000 people statewide."
Despite those impressive sign-up numbers, every year about 500 people in Illinois die waiting for that perfect matching organ. Many of them are African American.
So what a great honor it was for me to share a dais with White – the longest-serving Secretary of State in Illinois history and the first black person to hold the office – last week for a Minority Organ Donor Awareness event at Carle Hospital in Champaign, Ill.
We were joined by my new friend Dave Freeman, who lives in the same complex as I (our building manager introduced us) and is preparing to begin dialysis in hopes of an eventual kidney transplant.
Jesse and Dave were there to plead for the need. I was Exhibit A, the walking, talking success story.
Unlike me, who relishes any opportunity to open my mouth in public, Dave was more than a bit jittery prior to making his remarks. He had included a joke in his short speech and wanted to run it past me:
"When they asked me if I wanted to be an organ and tissue donor, I told them, 'No thank you. I play the trumpet.'"
Crickets.
"I don't get it," I confessed.
Once he explained it to me – a play on words about musical instruments – I gently suggested he remove the "and tissue" part to put the key words closer together. Dave agreed to try it.
I won't bore you with every word verbatim (much as I'd like to), but this is the bulk of what I said to that hospital audience:
"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
"I'm happy and proud to share the podium with our esteemed Secretary of State, who has been such a champion in the field of organ and tissue donation. Thank you, Mr. White, for all you have done and continue to do.
"My name is Jim McFarlin, and I am speaking to you today from beyond the grave.
"Logically, realistically, there is no way I should be standing before you right now. In 2008 I was diagnosed with Stage IV kidney failure, and as many of you may know, the medical types tell you that at Stage V you should be checking your insurance policies and making arrangements.
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| Talk, talk, talk: Jimbo, the Kidney Crusader |
"I was on dialysis for just over two years – far below the average wait time for a transplant – when a precious little girl, just six years old, collapsed and died on the playground of a brain aneurysm. Her kidney was a perfect match, and in perfect condition.
"I will forever be grateful to her parents for having the courage and selflessness to think about how their dead child could benefit others at that most devastating time in their lives. My transplant was performed November 18, 2011, and I'm still going strong. Praise God!
"I am Exhibit A for the benefits of organ donation. I am blessed. And I truly believe one of the reasons I'm still around is to encourage and appeal to my brothers and sisters – of all colors – to make the choice to register as an organ and tissue donor.
"High blood pressure and diabetes are two of the leading causes of kidney failure, and you know that black folks lead the league in those statistics. Y'all eating all that pork!
"But you just know that African Americans are not signing up tp be organ and tissue donors in equal measure. Quite simply, we're not pulling our weight! We're not doing our fair share.
"And while it's true that the races have interchangeable parts, the truth is that tissue matches are just better when transplants occur within ethnic groups – that is, when black patients receive organs from black donors, Hispanics from Hispanics, and so on.
"For about two years I served as the End Stage Renal Disease Patient Representative for the State of Illinois. And while it was largely a ceremonial position, I tried to use it to best advantage.
"As I traveled around the state, whenever I could I would drop into a dialysis clinic and ask to speak to the patients. And while I learned a lot from them, the takeaway that struck me hardest was that it seemed no matter where I went, the vast majority of patients were the same color as I am. The need for donors is critical.
"Why don't we donate? One reason, I think, is because we believe in all those myths and old wives' tales that just aren't true. Doctors will not let you die on the operating table so they can harvest your organs...you can still have an open casket funeral...organ donation is not against your religion. There is no legitimate excuse.
"So if you really believe that Black Lives Matter – or Asian Lives, or Hispanic Lives, or every life – here is a positive, nonviolent, selfless way to prove your commitment. Become an organ and tissue donor. Do the right thing. Donate life. Thank you."
And by the way, Dave's edited joke got a big laugh. A good day all the way around.
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