SAN ANTONIO – The South Texas Blood and Tissue co-hosted an event for National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month at the donor pavilion Thursday morning.
Guests at the event learned about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Donate Life Texas, Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, University Health Transplant Institute, Be the Match and the San Antonio Eye Bank also participated.
San Antonio resident Carlos Dominguez attended the event to spread awareness and shared his story.
“I had cirrhosis since I was 47 years old. I went into the hospital in 2021 for a month. I had a blood infection that really damaged my liver beyond,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez got on a transplant waiting list, and a few months ago he got a call that changed his life.
He said he got a second chance at life and received a liver transplant.
“Anything I can do to help the donors transplant and even transplant recipients. Just talk to them and give them encouragement. That’s what I’m here for,” Dominguez said.
Donate Life said more than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant.
The South Texas Blood and Tissue said nearly 60% of the national transplant waiting list is from multicultural communities.
Dominguez is forever grateful to the organ donor and their family.
“For two years, I was not able to do very much, and now its like ‘Wow, totally different,’” Dominguez said.
To learn more about organ donation, click here.