Organ & Tissue Donation: How You Can Help (Part Three)

Part One explains the global need for organ/tissue donors.

Part Two gives a list of organ/tissue donor registries by country as well as sites on living donation.

Part Three is something I hadn't anticipated, though it's not entirely a surprise.

This week, this world lost the great African American poet, performer, and activist Sekou Sundiata. at the age of 58. He died from heart failure after being on dialysis about a year.

In January 1999, when his kidneys initially failed, a transplant saved his life. Because of another person's generosity, he was here on this planet another eight years, right where he needed to be.

Don't know yet whether he was medically a feasible candidate for a second transplant, which in some cases becomes possible and necessary. But if he was: he wasn't the first person, especially person of color, to die for lack of a matching organ/tissue.

Whatever the case may be: may our brother rest in peace, and may his life and voice continue to move us.