This week we are taking a
close-up look at organ
donation within multicultural
communities specifically
why, when transplantation
needs are greater within these
communities, are organ
donation rates lower.
Donor registration in Duval
County for caucasian residents
is 64-percent. While,
African American Registration
is only 36 percent. And
Hispanic American registration
is 54-percent. This
is a big issue and not an easy
one to tackle.So, healthcare
leaders in our community have
turned to some very special
people to make a difference.a
group they call their Organ
Donation SuperKid
3
.
>>> HEADING DOWNTOWN, THEY ASK
PEOPLE IF THEY'RE ORGAN DONORS.
>> WHEN I INITIALLY RECEIVE
MIDDRIVER'S LICENSE THE QUESTION
WAS POSED AND I WAS 18 YEARS OLD
AND NOW BEING 40 I NEVER
CONSIDERED WHETHER OR NOT I
WOULD WANT TO BECOME AN ORGAN
DONOR.
>> AT FIST I NEVER CONSIDERED
IT.
I THOUGHT IT TO BE I DON'T KNOW,
HADN'TLE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT
IT.
BUT IRY CENTLY LOST A FRIEND AND
THEY WERE ABLE TO DONATED HIS
ORGANS AND BY THE LOSS OF HIS
LIFE HE WAS ABLE TO SAFE 20
OTHER PEOPLE AND I THOUGHT THAT
WAS AMAZING.
THEY DONATED PRETTY MUCH
EVERYTHING.
SO, I'M DEFINITELY CONSIDERING
IT.
>> IF YOU'RE SICK BUT YOU'RE
CURABLE, THEY WILL KILL YOU TO
SAVE THAT PERSON.
>>> BUT TRANSPLANT PHYSICIANS
SAY THAT IS A MYTH.
HOSPITAL CARE TEAMS DO NOT KNOW
WHO IS OR WHO IS NOT A
REGISTERED ORGAN DONOR.
>>> IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT GET
INVOLVED AFTER THE CARE TEAM
SAYS THERE IS NO FURTHER HOPE
FOR SURVIVAL, THAT THEIR LOVED
ONE HAS BEEN DECLARED
BRAIN-DEAD.
IT IS ONLY AT THAT TIME THAT
SOMEONE EVEN THINKS ABOUT ORGAN
DONATION.
>>> THE SUPER KIDS EXPLAIN IT IN
THEIR OWN WAY.
>>> HAVE YOU HEARD EVER HEARD OF
PARAMEDICS WHO CHECK YOUR
LICENSE BEFORE THEY SAVE YOU?
>> NO, THE ANSWER IS NO.
THIS IS NOT A REAL THING.
>> ALL DELETE S THAT WILL NEVER
HAPPEN.
>> NEVER.
>> EVER.
>>> THE PARAMEDICS ARE NOT
TRYING TO KILL YOU FOR YOUR
ORGANS.
THEY WANT TO SAVE EVERYBODY.
THAT IS WHAT THEIR JOB IS.
WE'RE NOT LYING I IT IS THE
TRUTH.
JEN NEXT UP THEY VISIT DUVAL
BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE REGISTER TO
BE AN ORGAN DONOR WHEN THEY
RENEW THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
>> WHY DID YOU BECOME AN ORGAN
DONOR?
>> MY UNCLE ACTUALLY HAD A LUNG
TRANSPLANT.
>>> IT TOUCHED YOU PERSONALLY.
>> Nikki: ENCOURAGES THEM TO
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
LOTS OF TIME, TALKING AND
PATIENCE.
>>> DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T GET
DISCOURAGED.
KNOW THAT PEOPLE THERE IS A
LARGE SEGMENT OF PEOPLE THAT
WILL HAVE A PRECONCEIVED NOTION
YOU CAN'T CHANGE AND DON'T LET
THAT STOP YOU.
>> Nikki: AND THEY WON'T.
THEIR PLAN IS IN PLACE AND THEY
HAVE ONE YEAR TO MEE
County by next June. We'll
let you know if they make it.
Join us tomorrow morning for
more of this week's special
coverage. To learn more
about organ donation and
register, go online to Donate
Life Florida-dot-org...we have