05/12/2025
Have you considered signing up as an organ donor? 🧡
While organ donations from ethnic minority communities have increased over the last year, the number of patients from these communities receiving transplants has fallen. Waiting times are also longer than for white patients, and on average, Black patients wait up to six months longer for a transplant. According to the latest report, as of 31 March 2025, 2,526 people from ethnic minority backgrounds remain on the waiting list. Nearly a third of those waiting for a kidney transplant are from ethnic minority communities.
• Amrit was diagnosed with kidney disease at just four years old. Now 24, he has been on the transplant waiting list for five years. He undergoes nine hours of dialysis at home every day to manage his condition and stay as healthy as possible while he waits.
• Eliza was diagnosed with a rare kidney condition at 16, forcing her to give up her passion for football. She has been on the transplant waiting list for a year and undergoes 10 hours of dialysis every night while she sleeps. Eliza worries her Black heritage might mean waiting 3–5 years for a match.
For Amrit, Eliza, and many others, a transplant isn’t just medicine, it’s hope for a normal life.
The truth is: the best donor match often comes from someone with a similar ethnic background.
If you’ve already joined the donor register, thank you. If you haven’t yet, please take two minutes today to sign up and let your family know your decision. You could save up to nine lives.
Read the full story: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/get-involved/news/ethnic-minority-organ-donations-increase-despite-a-drop-in-the-number-of-transplants/
