Importance of Organ Donation - A letter to Mr. Steve Harvey

After recently hearing the comments made from Steve Harvey during his nationally syndicated radio show I was so enraged, I wrote this letter in response. Organ donation has directly affected me, as I have not been a recipient or donor. However, someone very close to me has. I feel very strongly and passionately about it and will continue to be an advocate for it.

I hope this letter, although directed towards Steve Harvey, will enlighten the reader as well.


 Dear Mr. Harvey, I am disappointed, discontent, and disenchanted about a comment you made during your recent Strawberry Letter Segment. 

  During your response to a woman's letter in which she was concerned about whether or not to donate her eggs to another couple you referenced organ donation jokingly and stated that if you're asked at the dmv to be an organ donor, the answer would be "Hell No!" Even your co-host, Carla responded by saying "you won't need them when you're dead". 

  Let me begin by saying that I have followed your career for some time, and I am regular listener. I also respect you and agree with many of your personal views. However, your comment regarding organ donation hurt me to the core because it is a matter that is very personal to me and it affects many other African American families as well. I also want to add that I am not affiliated with any organization. This is just a topic that I'm extremely passionate about. I realize that because of your celebrity status much of what you say is scutinized. However, this letter is not meant to be an insult but instead a plea to educate and raise the consciousness of you as well as many other Americans about the importance of organ donation. What I'm asking is for you to take your social responsibility to another level. Here just a few facts regarding African American's and Kidney Disease, but I urge you to do your own research in order to completely understand it's magnitute. 
  •  African Americans make up 12 percent of the population but account for 30 percent of people with kidney failure. 
  • Diabetes and high blood pressure account for about 70 percent of kidney failure in African Americans. 
  • African American males ages 22 – 44 are 20 times more likely to develop kidney failure due to high blood pressure than Caucasian males in the same age group. 
  •  In 2001, there were about 400,000 people who had kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. By 2010, an estimated 661,330 individuals were diagnosed with kidney failure. 
  • The number of organ transplants performed on Black Americans in 2012 was only 14% of the number of Black Americans currently waiting for a transplant. The number of transplants performed on White Americans was 27% of the number currently waiting.


 http://blackdoctor.org/1991/african-americans-and-kidney-disease-fact-sheet/ http://donatelife.net/ http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?lvl=3&lvlID=12&ID=7987 http://www.ehow.com/facts_7314535_importance-organ-donations-transplants.html 

  Mr. Harvey you are in a very important position. You have followers... Your followers can be swayed by you and the things you say. I'm urging you to sway them in the direction of organ donation. As a matter of fact Mr. Harvey one of your own Fraternity Brothers, whom I was married to for 15 years has been on a kidney transplant list waiting for 7 years. Yes, one of your own is afflicted. I can guarantee there are many more! 

  Nobody should have to suffer waiting like that when we can all do something as simple as becoming an organ donor to save lives! I'm hoping this letter reaches you and speaks to your heart enough to become an advocate for this cause and also to promote it especially within your fraternal organization. Remember, those who are suffering may not always speak up. They need voices, and I am one of those voices. I pray that you will become one too, beacause you have huge platform. You can begin by reading this on air. 

  Please accept the challenge... I thank you for taking the time to read this letter. 

  Respectfully,
 Angela Clayton, 
MHA Los Angeles, CA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From the Mother of a Young Black Son

Until now, I have been silent because I have not been able to get my emotions in check since the Jordan Davis verdict.  Another young black child, with a promising future has been slaughtered at the hands of a white man, who claims he “felt” that his life was in danger of being harmed by a young black male.  All under the “Stand your ground” law which says that you can provoke an encounter and still use lethal means to defend yourself.  This is basically justified murder, which in some cases encourages an open season against the young black male. This law has a stark resemblance to the “Casual Killing Act of 1669, which states that a slave can be killed by his master, and that the slave’s death shall not be accompanied by a felony. Jordan and Trayvon are not the only children that have died in such “Stand Your Ground” cases.  In Florida alone at least 26 children or teens have fallen victim as result of this abominable law. We are seeing this same scenario repeatedly, giving mothe
Read more

Are You Going to Quit Smoking for 2012?

As a former smoker for many years, I know how difficult it is to finally kick the habit for good!  So please don't use the excuse of "I Can't Quit".  What worked for me which is something that may not necessarily work for everyone was to do it "cold turkey". To continue to smoke at all only seemed to spiral me back into the same pattern of smoking the same number of cigarettes that I swore to stop smoking to begin with.  Recent studies show that most ex-smokers have also chosen this method of quitting as well. How do you know that you are ready to quit?  Well, first you have to always listen to that inner voice.  If it's telling you that you need to quit, then you should listen.  When I was smoking, I got to a point where every time I would smoke a cigarette my conscious would say to me " You Know You're Killing Yourself Right?" Also, if you feel that you are smoking more and enjoying it less, you are definitely ready to quit..  Finally,
Read more

What's in 2014?

New Years Day has passed and we are 4 days into 2014. I couldn't allow an entire week of the new year to slip away without at least posting my thoughts about the year we have left behind and the year we have just entered into. As I sit here trying to recover from a mild strain of the stomach flu, I am doing some reflecting. I can testify that for me 2013 was the most amazing year.  God showed up in ways that I could never even imagined and I felt his presence throughout my 365 day journey. It started with the passing of my father, whom I later discovered had suffered from numerous strokes and Alzheimer's disease, to meeting my 8 siblings of whom I am the eldest, as well as my father's entire side of the family, for the very first time after 43 years. Talk about being overwhelmed! It was a bittersweet occasion, one in which I feared that I would be rejected. Instead, they all welcomed me with open arms while taking snapshots and shedding tears of course. A month l
Read more