>>BRUCE HAMILTON: A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE
U.S. ARE AWAITING TRANSPLANTS,
DISEASES OF THE KIDNEY, HEART,
LUNG, LIVER, AND THE PANCREAS
ARE PREVALENT IN THE COMMUNITY
AND THE PEOPLE SUFFERING COULD
LIVE LONGER AND HEALTHIER
LIVES. IF ORGANS WERE
AVAILABLE TO TRANSPLANT FOR
MANY REASONS, PEOPLE ARE
HESITANT TO SIGN UP AND BECOME
ORGAN DONORS.
>> SHIRLEY BRO WANTS TO CHANGE
THAT. SURELY IS WORKING TO
MAKE A POSITIVELY JAX
DIFFERENCE AND INCREASE
AWARENESS OF THE MINORITY
COMMUNITY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
OF BECOMING ORGAN DONORS. IN
FACT, SHE KNOWS FIRST-HAND
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE BECAUSE
SURELY IS A DOUBLE LUNG
TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT. SHE
FORMED THE THE ACRONYM STANDS
FOR EDUCATING MINORITIES,
ABOUT TRANSPLANTS RIGHT NOW,
SOME 115,000 PEOPLE IN THE
U.S. ARE AWAITING A LIFESAVING
ORGAN TRANSPLANT. EVERY 10
MINUTES. ANOTHER NAME IS ADDED
TO THAT LIST ON AVERAGE. 22
PEOPLE A DAY DIE BECAUSE THE
ORGANS JUST AREN’T AVAILABLE.
1000 DEATHS OCCUR ANNUALLY
BECAUSE OF A LACK OF ORGAN
DONATIONS. ONE DONOR CAN SAVE
AS MANY AS 8 LIVES. THAT’S WHY
SHORTLY IS WORKING TO TEACH
MEMBERS OF THE MINORITY
COMMUNITY HERE, ESPECIALLY
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF BECOMING AN
ORGAN DONOR. SHE ORGANIZES
EVENTS AND FEATURES STORIES
FROM TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS AND
DONOR FAMILIES. THE SPELLING
THE MANY MYTHS AND
MISCONCEPTIONS THAT EXIST. HER
GOAL IS TO OFFER A VOICE TO
THOSE WHO NEED SUPPORT. AND
WE’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW LEASE
ON LIFE.
>> AND SHIRLEY BROWN JOINS ME
VIA ZOOM THIS MORNING. GOOD
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU
TODAY? I’M GREAT. SO A LOT OF
PEOPLE HESITATE TO BE ORGAN
DONORS BECAUSE FRANKLY, THEY
ARE MISINFORMED. AND THERE ARE
A LOT OF MYTHS OUT THERE.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST QUESTION
THAT YOU GET?
>> THE BIGGEST QUESTION I GET
IS THAT THEY WILL NOT OF
SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME. AND I
HAVE AN EMERGENCY. THEN THE
MEDICAL STAFF WILL NOT WORK
HARD TO SAVE MY LIFE. AND WE
ALL KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT
TRUE. AND THEIR FIRST DUTY IS
TO WORK TO SAY TO YOU.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: AND THE
OTHER REALITY IS THAT IF
SOMEBODY BECOMES AN ORGAN
DONOR, THEY CAN SAVE MORE THAN
ONE LIFE.
>> THEY CAN SAVE A TOTAL OF 8
LIE. IT’S AND YOU’RE GO AHEAD.
I’M SORRY. I WAS GOING TO SAY
8 LIVES, THE 8 ORGANS THAT ARE
DONATED OR THE 2 KIDNEYS TO
LONG’S THE PANCREAS, THE
HOWARD IN THE LIVER.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: SO IF PEOPLE
WANT MORE INFORMATION, HOW CAN
THEY GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU?
BECAUSE, WELL, NUMBER ONE, YOU
WANT MORE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO
BE ORGAN DONORS. AND NUMBER 2,
PEOPLE IN THE MINORITY
COMMUNITY NEED TO BE INFORMED
AND NEED TO SIGN UP.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THEY CAN
SIGN UP AND NOW WE HAVE SIDE
OR THEY CAN GO TO DONATE LIFE.
FLORIDA. OUR WEB SITE IS.
>> DANCE.
>> OR THAT INC.
>> WE WOULDN’T REALLY. AS THAT
PEOPLE WOULD GO TO THE WEBSITE
TO GET SOME REAL INFORMATION
AND SOME BANKS BECAUSE AS YOU
SAY IT A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE
MISINFORMED AND IT WOULD MAKE
ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN SAVING
LIVES. AND A LINK TO THAT
WEBSITE IS INSIDE THIS ARTICLE
ON NEWS. 4 JAX. MEANTIME, TIRE
OUTLET SELECTED YOU FOR THIS
THEY COULDN’T BE WITH US THIS
MORNING. WE DO HAVE A MESSAGE
FROM THEM.
>> SO YOU?
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
ENTIRE IS SO EXCITED TO GIVE
THIS POSITIVELY JAX AWARD TO
MISS SHIRLEY, THE PAIN SHE
WENT THROUGH FOR DOUBLE LUNG
TRANSPLANT. AND I THINK IT’S
SO EASY FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL
SORRY FOR WAS WHEN THINGS LIKE
THAT HAPPEN FOR HER TO SAY I’M
GOING TO TAKE THIS PAIN TO
MAKE SOMETHING POSITIVE OUT OF
IT AND CREATE THIS
ORGANIZATION THAT NOW HELPS
PEOPLE GOING THROUGH WHAT SHE
WENT THROUGH FOR HER TO SAY
I’M GOING TO MAKE THIS EASIER
FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO’S GOING
THROUGH THIS PAIN USE IS SO
ADMIRABLE. ONE. WE APPLAUD THE
SHIRLEY FOR ALL OF HER EFFORTS
TO MAKE EVERYONE’S LIKE A
LITTLE BIT BETTER US TO GO
THROUGH THESE MISS, SURELY YOU
ARE SO AWESOME. ENTIRE OUT. IT
WAS SO EXCITED TO GIVE YOU
THIS POSITIVELY JAX AWARD THIS
MORNING.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: AND SO ARE
WE HERE AT NEWS. 4 JAX,
CHARLIE WILL MAKE SURE THAT