National Hispanic Heritage Month

Observed annually from September 15 – October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to celebrate and honor the generosity of Hispanic donors and their families, while also underscoring the critical need for people from this diverse community to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. Myths regarding donation continue to be major barriers preventing many Hispanics from becoming registered donors and therefore, can add to the reluctance of joining the organ donation registry.

The need is great. Of the over 20,000 Californians on the organ transplant waiting list, 44 percent of the Californians waiting are Hispanic. Like other minorities, Hispanics have the best chance of a successful organ transplant if the donor is of the same ethnic background. We invite you to explore, utilize and share these National Hispanic Heritage Month materials within your communities and help Donor Network West spread the awareness about our life-saving mission.