Donate Life 2018 ECHO Observance Highlights the Importance of Organ & Transplantation in Multicultural Communities

June 25, 2018

Donate Life’s Every Community Has Opportunity (ECHO) is a national observance that encourages social media and community storytelling centered around donation education in multicultural communities throughout the U.S. Donate Life America (DLA) and the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) created Donate Life ECHO to focus on the importance of donation and transplantation in multicultural communities.

Multicultural communities nationwide are disproportionately in need of lifesaving organ transplants, especially kidneys. Currently 58% of the U.S. transplant waiting list is comprised of multicultural patients. ECHO highlights the importance of registering to be an organ/eye/tissue donor; honor donors and donor families; and celebrate what transplantation has made possible in multicultural communities. This year’s two-week observance is Sunday, July 8 through Saturday, July 21.

Increasing educational efforts, outreach and registration opportunities are vital steps towards expanding the number of registered donors and lives saved in multicultural communities. This year, Donate Life ECHO storytelling and outreach will include:

  • Boomerang #DonateLifeECHOChallenge –  DLA and AMAT are inviting the public to share a Boomerang video on Instagram about why donation is important to them and/or their community. Donate Life ECHO Challenge participants will tag @donatelifeamerica, use the hashtag #DonateLifeECHOChallenge and encourage everyone to register their decision to be a donor at RegisterMe.org.
  • Walgreens Consumer Awareness Campaign– Throughout July, information about Donate Life ECHO will be featured on Walgreens health resource panels included with prescriptions filled at its retail and local specialty pharmacies nationwide.
  • Donate Life Caregiving – This year, the Donate Life ECHO observance will center on the theme of Donate Life Caregiving. DLA and AMAT are paying homage to the caregivers within, and for, our communities. Caregivers are vital to the health and well being of patients, families and our societal fabric.

“We created Donate Life ECHO to give a national voice to the experience of multicultural communities with donation and transplantation. The voices and experiences from these communities need to be heard,” says Maria Veve, President of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT). “This year join us to include Donate Life Caregiving in the Donate Life ECHO message. Caregivers lift us up, walk with us and catch us when we fall. We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize all they do to make LIFE possible in this year’s observance. ”

Donate Life ECHO resources are available in English, Spanish and additional languages. Resources and more information about how to be a part of Donate Life ECHO are available at: DonateLife.net/ECHOand amat1.org/programs/ECHO.

You can register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.orgor the Medical ID Tab of your iPhone Health App or in Spanish at DoneVida.org.

NOTE: Data from Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of April 20, 2018.

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About Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates:
KODA’s mission is to provide organ and tissues to those in need and to maintain a profound respect for those who gave. For more information visit kyorgandonor.org. The mission of the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust For Lifeis to inform, educate, and encourage Kentuckians to register as organ and tissue donors to save lives. For more information visit trustforlife.org. Follow us on Facebook @KYOrganDonorAffiliates; Twitter @KY_OrganDonoror Instagram @donatelife.ky

About the Association of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT):
AMAT was established in 1992 to address the increasing need for organ, eye and tissue donors in multicultural communities, while simultaneously offering support, shared expertise and professional development opportunities for its members as they save and heal lives. AMAT is a self-sustaining, self-governed organization operating solely on voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, and other affiliated organizations. For more information, visit: www.AMAT1.org.

About Donate Life America (DLA):
Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 nonprofit alliance of national organizations and Donate Life State Teams across the United States committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available for transplant to save and heal lives. Donate Life America manages and promotes the national brand for donation, Donate Life℠; develops and executes effective multi-media donor education programs; motivates the American public to register now as organ, eye and tissue donors; manages the National Donate Life Registry, RegisterMe.org; and assists Donate Life State Teams and national partners in facilitating high-performing donor registration programs. For more information, please visit DonateLife.net.