Monday is the 15th annual National Minority Donor Awareness Day, which serves as an opportunity to educate the public about the critical need for organ and tissue donation. One man has been alive for more than 25 years because of the generosity of a donor.
25 years ago, Dwight Kynard came down with something.
"I just thought I had the flu, so I continued to work, and it wasn't until I went to give blood that they told me that my count was extremely low," he says.
Kynard found out that he would need a kidney transplant.
For two-and-a-half years Dwight leaned on his faith to carry him through. Then one day he got the call that a transplant was ready.
"I just had all positive hopes and attitude and everything else going into that surgery room, knowing that it was going to work, and it did," he remembers.
Minorities make up 35 percent of the population, but they make up more than 50% of the 111,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
Organ donation advocates believe myths may keep minorities from donating. Some believe doctors may not try to save their lives in a life or death situation.
Kara Steele with Life Connection of Ohio says that's not the case.
"Hospital staff doctors will do everything they can to save that person's life, regardless of their choice to donate," she says. "It's only after they've done everything they can to try and save that person that Life Connection Ohio would enter the picture."
Kynard now has a second chance at life. He's in picture perfect health because someone made a decision to be a donor, and now he hopes you too will one day help save a life.
To find out more about organ and tissue donation, visit Life Connection of Ohio's website.
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