Declare Minority Donor Awareness Day

August 1, 2017, as Minority Donor Awareness Day in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official days that are set aside to increase awareness of serious issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State and across the Nation; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim August 1, 2017, as Minority Donor Awareness Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Minority Donor Awareness Day; and WHEREAS, Organ, tissue and eye donation is important to everyone but can sometimes be of even greater concern to the minority community; and WHEREAS, August 1st celebrates National Minority Donor Awareness Day and is an ideal time to consider giving the gift of life by making a commitment to be an organ, tissue and eye donor; and WHEREAS, Because some diseases of the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas and liver are found more frequently in racial and ethnic minority populations than in the general population, minorities are much more likely than Caucasians to need life-saving transplants; and WHEREAS, More than 100,000 men, women and children in the United States are waiting for a life-saving organ, and half of those on the waiting list are minority patients; and WHEREAS, While race is not a limiting determinant in donations, transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic and racial group; lower donation rates among minorities can result in longer waiting periods for transplants for minority organ recipients; and WHEREAS, One out of 20 Americans will need a tissue transplant in his or her lifetime; donated tissues such as skin, bone and heart valves are used to treat burn victims, increase strength, restore mobility and improve the quality of life for approximately 1 million patients each year; and WHEREAS, Tissue is a special gift that can be shared among all populations; a minority donor's tissue may benefit a patient of another race, and a minority patient may receive tissue from a donor of another race; and WHEREAS, The commitment to donate tissue is part of the focus during National Minority Donor Awareness Day, observed August 1 each year to raise awareness of the importance of donation among minority populations; and WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater awareness of this serious health condition, and more must be done to increase activity at the local, State and National levels; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim August 1, 2017, as Minority Donor Awareness Day in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York.