>> MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR A TRANSPLANT OF A SOLID ORGAN LIKE A KIDNEY
PANCREAS LIVER, HEART OR LUNG.
NOW, AFRICAN-AMERICANS MAKE UP
THE LARGEST GROUP OF
MINORITIES AND NEED AT ALMOST
30% BUT ONLY RECEIVED ABOUT A
QUARTER OF FOR OF THE
LIFESAVING TRANSPLANTS. NOW,
AUGUST IS MINORITY DONOR
AWARENESS MONTH. AND TODAY WE
WELCOME SHIRLEY BRILL WHO
RECENTLY A DOUBLE LUNG
TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT AND SHE’S
TALKING TO US ABOUT HER
EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT PROMPTED
THE CREATION OF A COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATION AIMED AT HELPING
BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN
MINORITIES AND RECEIVING GOOD
MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SO
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT YOUR
TRANSPLANT STORY AND HOW THAT
PROCESS WHAT
>> A TRANSPLANT STORY STARTED
IN 2005 WHEN I EXPERIENCED
SHORTNESS OF BREATH WHILE
TEACHING, IT ENDED UP BEING
DIAGNOSED AS CATHOLIC
PULMONARY FIBROSIS, WHICH LED
TO MY DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT
IN 2008.
>> HOW LONG DID YOU HAVE TO
WAIT TO RECEIVE A TRANSPLANT?
>> I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
END-STAGE LUNG JANUARY OF 2008
AND WAS TRANSPLANTED ON THE
MAY 6.
>> SO IT WAS ROUGHLY ABOUT 4
MONTH. OKAY. IN FOR SOMEONE
WHO IS WAITING ON A TRANSPLANT
OF THAT TIME IS IS THAT
CONSIDERED A LONGER TIME OR IS
THAT CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, A
DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME? WELL,
FOR A LONG AS IT WAS NOT
REALLY THAT LONG AWAITED, I
WOULDN’T THINK WAS I WAS
TRANSPLANTED. BUT I WAS
ACTUALLY SICK FOR ABOUT 3 WITH
THE OXYGEN THERAPY.
>> THINGS LIKE SO
>> AND WE KNOW FOR A LOT OF
MINORITIES, YOU KNOW,
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WAIT A
BIT LONGER FOR TRANSPLANT FOR
SOME OF THOSE A MAJOR ORGANS.
WERE YOU A BIT NERVOUS? YOU
KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE KIND OF
GIVING YOUR WAIT TIME AT
FIRST?
>> ACTUALLY, I WAS THERE’S NO
OTHER TREATMENT FOR OUR LUNG
DISEASE. I MEAN, THERE’S NOT
LIKE WITH KIDNEYS. YOU CAN
EXPERIENCE DIALYSIS, THINGS
LIKE DAD. BUT IF I DID NOT
RECEIVE THAT GIFT OF SOMEBODY
SAYING YES, THEN MY SURVIVAL
WOULD NOT HAS BEEN AS WELL.
AND I KNOW THAT IS NOT EASY TO
DO
>> WHAT ARE SOME
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT
TRANSPLANTS?
>> WELL, SOME OF THE MAIN
THINGS THAT ED.
>> SENIOR KERRY ARE, YOU KNOW,
IF SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO
ME, THEN CHANCES ARE THEY WILL
DO THEIR BEST TO SAVE MY LIFE.
I THINK THAT’S AT THE TOP OF
THE LIST. AND BY EXPERIENCING
A TRANSPLANT AND OTHERS WHO
HAVE EXPERIENCED A TRANSPLANT.
WE KNOW THAT THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY NOT THE TRUTH
BECAUSE THE DOCTORS THAT JOBS,
THEY’RE GOING TO DO THEIR BEST
TO SAVE YOU AND DO WHATEVER IT
TAKES MAKE THAT HAPPEN FOR
YOU.
>> AND NOW YOUR JOURNEY HAS
INSPIRED THE START OF
EDUCATING MINORITY, THAT
MINORITIES ABOUT TRANSPLANT
INK. SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THAT. AND WHAT EXACTLY
INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE ACTION.
>> WELL, IN 2005 WHILE TO HEAL
AND I WHERE I’M ATTENDING A
MEETING, A MULTICULTURAL TASK
FORCE MEETING. AND IN THAT
MEETING WE HEARD SO DATA SOME
TO ITS STATISTICS.
>> THAT AMONG
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, THERE’S NOT
A LOT OF PEOPLE GIVING THE
GIFT OF LIFE. SO WE THOUGHT
WE’D GET TOGETHER AND START A
FACEBOOK PAGE. AND FROM THAT
FACEBOOK PAGE, IT WENT ON
2015. TO BEGIN THE ACTUAL
ORGANIZATION, EDUCATING
MINORITIES, ABOUT TRANSPLANTS
WHERE WE WENT PAY IS JUST A
FACEBOOK PAGE INTO AN ACTUAL
ORGANIZATION WHICH NOW CONSIST
OF LOCAL TRANSPLANT
RECIPIENTS. CAREGIVERS, DONOR
FAMILIES. AND THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE JUST INTERESTED IN
BUILDING.
>> THE REGISTRATION THAT IS
AMAZING AND UNFORTUNATELY ARE
RUNNING OUT OF TIME. BUT I
KNOW YOU DO HAVE AN EVENT
COMING UP. WHERE CAN PEOPLE
LEARN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THAT? WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT NEXT
WEEKEND. FRIDAY WILL HOLD 2
PANEL DISCUSSIONS AT FLORIDA
STATE COLLEGE WHEN AT MAYO
CLINIC AT 4.30, THEN WE’LL
CELEBRATE WITH A CLOSING
BANQUET ON SATURDAY COMING IN
TO BE OUT, FEATURED SPEAKERS
ROBERT CHILL. SEE THE FIRST
AND OLDEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
WITH A FULL FACIAL TRANSPLANT.
AND GEORGE FRANKLIN, WHO HAS
THE OLD U.S. KIDNEY FROM A
DECEASED DONOR IN THE NATION.