DETROIT – Many of us probably either know someone who is registered to be an organ donor, or perhaps even thought about registering ourselves. For either party, it can be a worrying subject. Despite the generosity of the people registered or the noble intentions behind it, there are many misconceptions about what being an organ donor could mean or the conditions surrounding it; particularly in communities of minorities.
We’ve compiled a brief list of some of the facts and myths surrounding organ donation.
FACT: There is a long, disturbing history between the medical establishment and communities of color.
From forced sterilizations to the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study that withheld treatments from black men, there is unfortunately a long history of medical establishments mistreating people of color; leading to many of these misconceptions being nested in black communities. Remonia Chapman, Director of Public Education and Community Relations at Detroit’s Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) spoke with Local 4′s Paula Tutman about this troubled history and some of the myths that have come from or are related to it.
“They have stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.” Chapman told Tutman, “We would like to dismantle the myths and provide the message of facts -- We acknowledge that our healthcare industry has not always been kind to people of color, and we recognize that there are historical facts, we do not deny those. What we can say, however, is that an informed consumer and healthcare industry is always the best consumer.”
MYTH: If you are a minority, your life will not be saved if your organs can help save the life of a white person.
Due to the unfortunate history with the medical establishment, there is a widely held belief in communities of color that if your organs could save the life of a white person on the waiting list for an organ, doctors won’t put forth any effort to save your life, should you find yourself in that situation. Fortunately, that isn’t true.
Taneisha Carswell, an organ recipient from a living donor, was able to speak firsthand about the efforts of those in the medical field. “I have seen the medical system do absolutely everything they can do to save a person’s life.” Carswell explained, “And when they have done everything else they can do to save that person’s life, and there’s nothing else they can do, then that person can go on to save somebody else’s life.”
MYTH: If you’re an organ donor and are close to death or might die anyway, doctors won’t try to save you so your organs can be donated to someone more viable.
A common misconception with organ donation is that registering as an organ donor changes how doctors may treat you in a critical situation; opting to let you die if your organs can be used to save someone else’s life regardless of you or your family’s input.
Regardless of a patient’s status as an organ donor, healthcare providers are obligated to do what they can to aid their patients when possible, regardless of race.
Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, dealt with this misconception when her son was unfortunately killed in the Oxford High School shooting in 2021.
“There’s many misconceptions with organ donation and urban myths and fears, and even I had some of those fears; that ‘oh, you shouldn’t be a donor because they won’t try and save you.’ All of that is such nonsense.” Soave explained, “In the hospital, there are so many tests that they do showing you that your loved one is braindead. So, it’s made quite clear, and it’s done very gently, and everything is explained to you; and as his mom, I knew the moment I walked in the room that that was his body. Not his soul.”
“The hospital does not call and contact Gift of Life Michigan until a person has been declared brain dead and imminent death has occurred. So, therefore, we are not called when people just go into the emergency room.” Chapman told Tutman.
MYTH: You’re too old or have an illness that keeps you from being a donor.
Another common misconception is that old age or illness can prevent someone from being an organ donor if that is what’s desired.
“No medical condition prevents anyone from signing up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.” Chapman told Local 4, “At the time of death, each person is evaluated. And what we know, with all the advancements in medicine, things that would’ve prevented people maybe 10-15 years ago no longer prevents them from being an organ donor.”
Registering as an organ donor can be a hard decision to make. The many myths and misconceptions surrounding the process can prevent people from ever entertaining the thought. But thanks to information from MOTTEP and Gift of Life Michigan there are more ways for people to stay informed and replace those misconceptions with facts and get involved however they can. There are also ways for people to show support for families of organ donors such as Gift of Life Michigan’s Blanket Making Event this coming Tuesday, April 30th.
Read: How do I sign up to become an organ and tissue donor?
People can register to donate organs, tissue and eyes at the end of their life to someone in need of a transplant. They can also explore a “living donation” -- or giving a kidney or part of their liver to someone in need while both individuals are living.
Michiganders can enroll using the Online Michigan Organ Donor Registry or sign up for organ donation when renewing or requesting a replacement license or state ID card.
Gift of Life Michigan, an organization that facilitates organ and tissue donations, works with the Michigan Secretary of State to grow and maintain the registry, you can click here to learn more and to sign up to become a donor.
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