National Minority Donor Awareness Day

More than 80,000 people across the United States are on a waiting list for organ transplant. More than 37,000 of them -- nearly half -- are from minority populations. Many of the conditions leading to the need for transplant, such as diabetes, occur with greater frequency in minority populations. Patients on the national waiting list are most likely to find well-matched organs within their own racial/ethnic group, but 80 percent of U.S. donors are Caucasian.

The need for minority donors is critical.