Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Nat'l Minority Donor Awareness Month: Minorities are 63 percent of waiting list
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
2015-08-18

This article shared 3238 times since Tue Aug 18, 2015
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


ITASCA, Ill. ( August 12, 2015 ) Of the more than 5,300 people on the waiting list for an organ transplant in the state of Illinois, 63 percent are minorities. Throughout the month of August, during which the urgent need for minority organ and tissue donors is observed, Gift of Hope shares a story that demonstrates how fragile life is and the consequences that our loved ones suffer due to the lack of action taken in a timely manner to help save lives.

Anselmo Ruiz is a go-getter who began his career as a dishwasher and who rose up the ranks to become a famous chef and obtain the much coveted FiveStar distinction through perseverance and a strong desire to succeed. However, his success story also includes many highs and lows; his health has been compromised for years due to the need for organ transplants, a need he continues to have today.

"When I was 19, I never went to the doctor because I never got sick," Ruiz said. "When the doctor told me I had diabetes the first thing I thought of was death because my uncle was killed by the disease. I started taking medication, but it did not work. That's when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and I began injecting insulin," commented Ruiz.

Every year efforts are carried out to educate and raise awareness in the Latino and minority communities to generate a culture of organ and tissue donation. Despite this, the ratio among various racial and ethnic groups who register to save the lives of those who need it most is disproportionately low compared to the number of Caucasian organ donors.

Ruiz endured his diabetes for 20 years until at 38-years-old, he experienced neuropathy as a result of his disease. Diabetic neuropathy damages the nervous system and decreases blood flow. Slowly Ruiz began losing feeling in his legs until one day he could no longer walk. His doctors told him he needed to be placed on the waiting list for a pancreas transplant at the University of Illinois hospital. He received a transplant a few months later, but unfortunately by then he learned that his kidneys were failing and that he needed to start dialysis.

"Once a patient begins dialysis it is difficult to maintain a transplant. Now his kidney functions, but he needs another pancreas transplant," said Dr. Jose Oberholzer, Transplant Surgeon at the University of Illinois Hospital. Ruiz had no choice but to begin taking insulin injections again. He received another pancreas transplant, which his body rejected. In a case like his, which is uncommon, another pancreas transplant is not recommended; rather the transplantation of islets or pancreas cells is preferred so that his body can begin producing insulin again. This process is considered successful though it is still in the testing phase at the University of Illinois and awaiting approval," concluded Dr. Oberholzer.

Almost half of people with diabetes suffer from nerve damage. Usually in the case of type 1 diabetes, when the pancreas no longer produces insulin, a pancreas and kidney transplant must occur at the same time. Unfortunately that was not the case for Ruiz. He only placed himself on the pancreas transplant waiting list and not the kidney list because his kidneys were working well at the time.

Raiza Mendoza, Manager of Hispanic Affairs for Gift of Hope assures that "A donor can help improve the quality of life of many people and give the most precious gift, life itself. Latinos do not go to the doctor until they are very sick. Then we try to relieve the pain with home remedies."

"If we prevent diseases such as diabetes by regularly going to the doctor and taking care of our bodies with a balanced diet and exercise, it will help avoid many of the diseases that are more prevalent in the Latino community," Mendoza concluded.

This month, as we continue to raise awareness about the urgent need for organ and tissue donation among minorities, Gift of Hope invites the Hispanic community to continue increasing the number of entries in the state registry and to show active solidarity with those waiting for transplants. "This is an essential part of Gift of Hope's mission, as it is in the Latino culture to help those who need it. Talk to your family and tell them you want to save lives! It's time to share our light and leave a legacy because together we can make a big difference in the lives of others," expressed Mendoza.

About Gift of Hope

Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network is a nonprofit organization that coordinates donation of organs and tissues with 180 hospitals in Illinois and northeast Indiana. Since its inception in 1987, Gift of Hope has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of more than 20,000 organ transplant beneficiaries, and bettering the lives of hundreds of thousands of recipients of tissue transplants. For more information: www.giftofhope.org/espanol or call: 877-577-3747 .


This article shared 3238 times since Tue Aug 18, 2015
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Brown Elephant Returns To Northalsted 2024-03-26
- Brown Elephant's Lake View location is moving to Northalsted and already accepting donations. Howard Brown Health, the largest LGBTQ+ health center in the midwest, operates three Brown Elephant resale shops in the Chicagoland area to help ...


Gay News

An interstate trans healthcare crisis: Illinois prepares for influx of people seeking gender-affirming care 2024-03-26
- With hard-won rights, such as access to hormone replacement therapy or permission to use one's chosen pronouns in school, breaking down in states across the country, trans residents of all ages are left with a choice: ...


Gay News

Planned Parenthood of Illinois expands Orland Park health center 2024-03-26
--From a press release - ORLAND PARK, Ill. - Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) announces the expansion of its existing Orland Park Health Center at 14470 S. LaGrange Rd., Suite 106. The 1,800-square-foot expansion is projected to increase sexual and reproductive ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-24
- On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

WORLD Leaked messages, Panama action, author dies at 32, Japan court, out athletes 2024-03-15
- Hundreds of messages from an internal chat board for an international group of transgender health professionals were leaked in a report and framed as revealing serious health risks associated with gender-affirming care, including cancer, according to ...


Gay News

UK health service to stop routinely prescribing puberty blockers to minors 2024-03-14
- NHS (National Health Service) England confirmed that children will no longer routinely be prescribed puberty blockers at gender-identity clinics, the BBC reported. The decision came after a review found there was "not enough evidence" that they ...


Gay News

One Roof Chicago launches youth-focused workforce development program 2024-03-14
- One Roof Chicago (ORC) is set to launch its first training, education and job placement program for LGBTQ+ young adults in late spring. This Community Health Workers and Elder Care program is a part of ORC's ...


Gay News

Howard Brown experts discuss advocacy and allyship for Chicago's trans community 2024-03-14
By Alec Karam - Howard Brown Health's Trans & Gender Diverse People's Rights & Patient Care panel convened March 12 to discuss both resources for—and opportunities to provide allyship to—the city's trans and gender diverse communities. The event hos ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health faces October trial if settlement isn't reached with union 2024-03-13
- Howard Brown Health could go to trial over unfair labor practice allegations if the LGBTQ+ health center doesn't reach a settlement with its agreement soon. Chicago's regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed ...


Gay News

Pro-choice activists protest crisis pregnancy center on International Women's Day 2024-03-11
- The rainy weather on March 8 didn't deter a passionate group of pro-choice protesters from gathering in Old Town on International Women's Day. Following the opening of Women's Care Center—a crisis pregnancy center—directly next to Pl ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle 2024-03-08
- Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...


Gay News

Pride 365 event emphasizes year-round support for LGBTQ+ employees 2024-03-07
- Queer employees are queer all year-round. The need for employers to accordingly support and uplift them year-round was the core message at Howard Brown Health and Citywide Pride's Pride 365 "Out of Office to Out in ...


Gay News

AMA launches toolkit to increase screenings for HIV, STIs, hepatitis, tuberculosis 2024-03-06
Press release - CHICAGO — With disruptions in clinical care caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and viral hepatitis across the U.S., the American Medical Association ...


Gay News

APA adopts policy supporting transgender, gender diverse and non-binary individuals 2024-02-28
- From a press release: WASHINGTON—The American Psychological Association (APA) has adopted a landmark policy affirming evidence-based care for transgender, gender diverse and nonbinary children, adolescents and adults, noting that recent ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.