Harris County Sheriff's Office, HCSO becomes organ, tissue donation advocate

Source: ABC 13, Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced on Wednesday that's formally become an advocate for organ and tissue donation.

The sheriff's office commitment comes at a time when it's needed. The donation community says there's a dire need for transplantable organs and tissue among multicultural populations. Just over half of all people on the national organ transplant waiting list are minorities.

Here are more organ donation statistics. More than 111,000 americans await a lifesaving transplant and more than 10,000 Texans sit on the donation waiting list. Nearly half of the Texans on the list are Hispanic.