Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network > News & Views > News Blog > Hispanic Heritage Month: Importance of Enrolling in New York Organ Donor Registry
Hispanic Heritage Month: Importance of Enrolling in New York Organ Donor Registry
September 10th, 2014 by Nancy Ryan
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually in the United States from September 15 through October 15.
As the nation celebrates Hispanic heritage, culture and accomplishments, Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (FLDRN) urges Hispanics to celebrate life by promoting organ donation during this special time of the year.
FLDRN’s executive director, Rob Kochik, says: “Hispanics’ high standards when it comes to family and faith, and their focus on the vibrancy of life, can be made even more meaningful during Hispanic Heritage Month if members of this community set out to promote the life-saving nature of organ and tissue donation.”
Of the more than 10,500 people waiting for organ transplants in New York State, over 2,000 or roughly 20 percent are Hispanic:
- More than 1,600 Hispanics need kidneys in New York State.
- Over 300 Hispanics need livers.
- Hispanics are also waiting in New York State for hearts, lungs and pancreas. Some of them need a double transplant: a kidney and pancreas.
New Yorkers can enroll in the Donate Life Registry in various ways, including online and at the New York DMV.
For more information about how you can participate in Hispanic Heritage Month: Contact Amy James. Email Amy or call her on 585-272-4930.
Tags: 2014, donor registry, Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, Hispanic Heritage Month, organ donation, Rob Kochik