| Organ donations in the African American community One gift received, one waiting By Jonathan Gramling Part 2 of 3 |
“I met his mother,” Rumph said. “She said that he always wanted to do something where he could give back. He felt strongly in a religious way that it was
the right thing to do. It was something that he was going to do. When I met his mother, she didn’t want to get into how he died. We just talked about us, in
terms of what I did and whether or not I make a difference. She was glad that it came to someone like me because I work with the kids on the streets and that
kind of thing. It made her feel better. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”
When people donate their organs — and their families give their consent, it is a very deliberative process that leaves the family in control throughout the
process. “We help them make the decision through a very designed process from the time their loved one comes into the hospital,” said Kristina Engeseth,
hospital services specialist for the UW Health Organ Procurement Organization. “The hospital provides compassionate care hands down. And then, if their
loved one were not to survive their injury or their illness, that’s when we guide the nursing staff, guide the pastoral care staff; guide the social work staff in how
to talk to that family about a donation. We want to make sure that there are elements of that discussion that are present such as ‘Are we being sensitive to
cultural considerations?’ Are we asking that family if there are rituals they want their loved one honored with? We are able to facilitate lots of things. For
example, we had a Muslim family that needed their loved one’s body released to the funeral home by 7 a.m. the next day for Morning Prayer. We worked
quickly and made that happen. There was an African American family who needed to have 30 family members present while their loved one died. We were
able to facilitate that. It’s all about asking the right questions.”
While African Americans are over represented in the number of people waiting for a transplant, they are underrepresented in terms of who is donating
their organs. For some, the low rate of organ donation may be due to religious reasons. “There’s no scripture that I think one could point to that speaks
specifically to the issue of transplantation or organ donation,” said Rev. Gregory Armstrong, pastor of S.S. Morris Community AME Church. “There are some
pieces that allude to it, if you do some interpretation of it. There are certain religious groups that don’t believe in blood transfusion or being a giver or donor
of blood. They are really adamantly opposed to anything like that. I think the books of Leviticus and Acts do in some way talk about that. But you really have
to delve into it to really understand it. Paul talks in 1st Corinthians about having the entire body at Resurrection. I think that’s where most African Americans
come from, that when they die; they want all of their body parts to go with them to heaven.”
But Armstrong emphasized that it isn’t the body that transcends to heaven. “It isn’t my body, it’s my spirit that is forever,” Armstrong said. “This body is going
to go back to dust. So what need is there? It’s not that my body is going to go to heaven. My spirit is.”
And then Armstrong looked to the book of Genesis, which he felt may indirectly speak to organ donations. “I think one thing that is interesting — one may
not equate it this way — is how did woman come into existence,” Armstrong asked. “Part of life is that there was transplantation that took place. God took a rib
out of man, out of Adam and put it in Eve. Isn’t that transplantation? Another life came into existence because of that. I think that is one thing to note,
biblically, how life begets life.”
UW Health’s Engeseth noted that many religious organizations look at organ donation as a spiritual thing. “Most major religions feel that organ donation is
the most altruistic gift that you can give,” Engeseth said. “A very common reason that we get for not donating organs is that families feel the body needs to be
whole in order for their loved one to enter the afterlife. All we do then is to help that family truly understand the power of the decision. And if that is the
decision they make and they are going to be okay with it six months from now, then we did our job. But if they make that decision based on their loved one
needs to be whole in the afterlife and six months from now, they think ‘Wait a minute, that wasn’t the right choice.’ Then we didn’t do our job. We want to
help them understand the power so they can make the right decision for them.”
And for James Rumph, who received his kidney transplant in 2002, it is totally the right thing to do. “It is a wonderful gift,” Rumph emphasized. “It is the
gift of life. To me, it’s a religious thing. You can make a difference in someone’s life. And that’s what it is all about. You have to be willing to give freely. It’s a
tremendous gift. You can’t even put it in words. I feel very blessed. I’m a lucky man. Life is absolutely precious. I don’t take it for granted. I thank my donor
family. I appreciate it so much because they gave me a gift. This is a truly wonderful gift. You’re giving someone life. Without it, I would not be here. I hope I’
ve made a difference with my life. I think I have. But I would like to give something back, more and more. I wish people could educate themselves on the
whole process of organ donation. We need people to sign that donor card.”
Next issue: Mistrust of the medical system
the right thing to do. It was something that he was going to do. When I met his mother, she didn’t want to get into how he died. We just talked about us, in
terms of what I did and whether or not I make a difference. She was glad that it came to someone like me because I work with the kids on the streets and that
kind of thing. It made her feel better. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”
When people donate their organs — and their families give their consent, it is a very deliberative process that leaves the family in control throughout the
process. “We help them make the decision through a very designed process from the time their loved one comes into the hospital,” said Kristina Engeseth,
hospital services specialist for the UW Health Organ Procurement Organization. “The hospital provides compassionate care hands down. And then, if their
loved one were not to survive their injury or their illness, that’s when we guide the nursing staff, guide the pastoral care staff; guide the social work staff in how
to talk to that family about a donation. We want to make sure that there are elements of that discussion that are present such as ‘Are we being sensitive to
cultural considerations?’ Are we asking that family if there are rituals they want their loved one honored with? We are able to facilitate lots of things. For
example, we had a Muslim family that needed their loved one’s body released to the funeral home by 7 a.m. the next day for Morning Prayer. We worked
quickly and made that happen. There was an African American family who needed to have 30 family members present while their loved one died. We were
able to facilitate that. It’s all about asking the right questions.”
While African Americans are over represented in the number of people waiting for a transplant, they are underrepresented in terms of who is donating
their organs. For some, the low rate of organ donation may be due to religious reasons. “There’s no scripture that I think one could point to that speaks
specifically to the issue of transplantation or organ donation,” said Rev. Gregory Armstrong, pastor of S.S. Morris Community AME Church. “There are some
pieces that allude to it, if you do some interpretation of it. There are certain religious groups that don’t believe in blood transfusion or being a giver or donor
of blood. They are really adamantly opposed to anything like that. I think the books of Leviticus and Acts do in some way talk about that. But you really have
to delve into it to really understand it. Paul talks in 1st Corinthians about having the entire body at Resurrection. I think that’s where most African Americans
come from, that when they die; they want all of their body parts to go with them to heaven.”
But Armstrong emphasized that it isn’t the body that transcends to heaven. “It isn’t my body, it’s my spirit that is forever,” Armstrong said. “This body is going
to go back to dust. So what need is there? It’s not that my body is going to go to heaven. My spirit is.”
And then Armstrong looked to the book of Genesis, which he felt may indirectly speak to organ donations. “I think one thing that is interesting — one may
not equate it this way — is how did woman come into existence,” Armstrong asked. “Part of life is that there was transplantation that took place. God took a rib
out of man, out of Adam and put it in Eve. Isn’t that transplantation? Another life came into existence because of that. I think that is one thing to note,
biblically, how life begets life.”
UW Health’s Engeseth noted that many religious organizations look at organ donation as a spiritual thing. “Most major religions feel that organ donation is
the most altruistic gift that you can give,” Engeseth said. “A very common reason that we get for not donating organs is that families feel the body needs to be
whole in order for their loved one to enter the afterlife. All we do then is to help that family truly understand the power of the decision. And if that is the
decision they make and they are going to be okay with it six months from now, then we did our job. But if they make that decision based on their loved one
needs to be whole in the afterlife and six months from now, they think ‘Wait a minute, that wasn’t the right choice.’ Then we didn’t do our job. We want to
help them understand the power so they can make the right decision for them.”
And for James Rumph, who received his kidney transplant in 2002, it is totally the right thing to do. “It is a wonderful gift,” Rumph emphasized. “It is the
gift of life. To me, it’s a religious thing. You can make a difference in someone’s life. And that’s what it is all about. You have to be willing to give freely. It’s a
tremendous gift. You can’t even put it in words. I feel very blessed. I’m a lucky man. Life is absolutely precious. I don’t take it for granted. I thank my donor
family. I appreciate it so much because they gave me a gift. This is a truly wonderful gift. You’re giving someone life. Without it, I would not be here. I hope I’
ve made a difference with my life. I think I have. But I would like to give something back, more and more. I wish people could educate themselves on the
whole process of organ donation. We need people to sign that donor card.”
Next issue: Mistrust of the medical system
James Rumph was in dire need for a kidney transplant back in 2002 when he got the call that a suitable donor —
whose next of kin had consented — was found. Rumph had been on dialysis for a little over three years and his health
was in decline. Although he found out on a Saturday and he wouldn’t have surgery until the next morning, Rumph was
so excited that he went to the hospital immediately.
Rumph knew he was a lucky man. Currently in the U.S., there are roughly 97,400 people on the transplant waiting
list. 36 percent of those waiting are African American. Yet, there were only 16,000 donations last year. 18 people die
every day because there wasn’t a suitable donor. Rumph couldn’t find a living donor who was compatible, so he had
to wait for a deceased donor. And he waited for over three years.
Only about three percent of those who die each year are suitable organ donors. “You can only be a solid organ donor
if you are being maintained on life support and your family makes the decision to end that maintenance,” said Kathy
Schultz, senior marketing consultant with UW Health. “So if you were to die in a car accident at the scene,
you cannot be a solid organ donor. You could be a tissue or eye donor. You have to be in a hospital on a ventilator
or life support system and then your family gets the news that you are either brain dead or cardiac dead. Then they
need to make a decision about prolonging life-sustaining measures or removing that option.”
Rumph was lucky that a 42-year old Euro-American in perfect health died and had matching blood and tissue to
Rumph. Rumph was also lucky that his family gave their consent.
whose next of kin had consented — was found. Rumph had been on dialysis for a little over three years and his health
was in decline. Although he found out on a Saturday and he wouldn’t have surgery until the next morning, Rumph was
so excited that he went to the hospital immediately.
Rumph knew he was a lucky man. Currently in the U.S., there are roughly 97,400 people on the transplant waiting
list. 36 percent of those waiting are African American. Yet, there were only 16,000 donations last year. 18 people die
every day because there wasn’t a suitable donor. Rumph couldn’t find a living donor who was compatible, so he had
to wait for a deceased donor. And he waited for over three years.
Only about three percent of those who die each year are suitable organ donors. “You can only be a solid organ donor
if you are being maintained on life support and your family makes the decision to end that maintenance,” said Kathy
Schultz, senior marketing consultant with UW Health. “So if you were to die in a car accident at the scene,
you cannot be a solid organ donor. You could be a tissue or eye donor. You have to be in a hospital on a ventilator
or life support system and then your family gets the news that you are either brain dead or cardiac dead. Then they
need to make a decision about prolonging life-sustaining measures or removing that option.”
Rumph was lucky that a 42-year old Euro-American in perfect health died and had matching blood and tissue to
Rumph. Rumph was also lucky that his family gave their consent.
(L-R) Anthony Brown and James Rumph