The very concept of organ transplantation still inspires a sense of awe in many Americans. But for some minority groups, that second chance at life is elusive.
Statistics tell the story.
Half of those are minorities. But minorities represented just 25 percent of the donor pool. That's not good news, considering that compatible matches are most often found within the same racial or ethnic group. Blacks are particularly hard hit, because diabetes and hypertension, leading causes of dialysis and organ failure, affect this group disproportionately. D.C. Callender, founder of the national Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program, knows the numbers and understands the reasons behind them.