fbpx

Life on the waiting list: ‘You have to be very, very careful’

deshante_ervin

Patients waiting for new organs take extra precautions to stay healthy

De’Shante Ervin is taking additional precautions these days.

The 40-year-old Southfield resident is currently in need of a kidney and knows that even a common cold or flu-like symptoms could postpone a life-saving transplant.

“When that call comes, you have to be ready,” he said.

For Ervin, that means trying to eat right and stay in shape, as well as trying to avoid the potential for infection that everyone faces on a daily basis. As an African American, he knows he’s more at risk for the coronavirus, too, which means he and his family are even more diligent about social distancing.

“I’m pretty much staying at home. Outside of going walking at the track. I’m trying to stay away from people as much as possible,” said Ervin, who wears a mask and stands apart from family, even during gatherings. “I’m not going around anybody. I have to make sure my immune system is right.”

He and his wife, Crystal, are also planning what will happen should their 17-year-old twins have to return to school for their senior year this fall, or if their district will provide remote learning.

Even with the additional precautions, Ervin knows he may have a long wait on the waiting list. Minorities tend to wait longer for donors because there is a reluctance among some in multicultural communities to sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.

While transplants can be successful regardless of the ethnicity of donor and recipient, the chances for a successful match and long-term survival are higher if both have a similar genetic background. Also, minorities tend to be at a higher risk for conditions like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, which can lead to organ failure. Of the more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, nearly 60 percent are minorities. About 29 percent are African American. In Michigan, 871 of the 2,140 people waiting for a new kidney are African American.

Ervin has been listed for a transplant for more than a year and is undergoing dialysis. Diagnosed as diabetic when he was 19, he gets dialysis treatment three times a week, and each session usually takes more than four hours. He’s currently unable to work.

“It can be taxing,” he said.

August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, which highlights the need for minorities to sign up as donors and encourages everyone to lead healthier lives.

“As minorities – or people in general – it’s very important that we support donation,” he said. “You never know whose life you’re saving or how many individuals you’re saving with this gift of life.”

Read More Posts

More than 100 staff at Munson Medical Center gathered to celebrate their upcoming Hospital of the Year Award - many of them came in on their day off to join the celebration.

Munson Medical Center Named Hospital of the Year by Gift of Life Michigan

Munson’s John Stanifer, MD and ICU Manager, Eric Jean also to be recognized. Gift of…

Read More
children holding hands

Can a Living Person Donate a Liver?

The liver is an important organ. It filters toxins out of your blood. You can’t…

Read More

Can You Donate Your Placenta?

The placenta is a one-of-a-kind organ that plays a significant role in pregnancy. It assists…

Read More
A happy family

What Tissue can be Donated?

There are several tissues that one can donate to save lives. This includes cornea, tendons,…

Read More
Dr. Bedi, Rachel Kuntzsch and Sarah Scantamburlo are new Gift of Life Governing Board members

Gift of Life Michigan announces new board members

New board members will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table Gift of Life…

Read More
2023 was a record year for Gift of Life Michigan with 578 organ donors and 1,858 tissue donors

Gift of Life Michigan smashes record for organ donors in 2023

More than 213,000 people join Donor Registry Gift of Life Michigan helped a record 578…

Read More
Scroll to Top