Washington,
DC (BlackNews.com) - The Coalition on Donation and
award-winning cartoonist of Mama's Boyz, Jerry Craft,
have teamed up to illustrate the critical need for African
American organ and tissue donors. Over the past decade,
there has been a 166 percent increase in the number
of African Americans waiting for organ transplants,
with African Americans comprising an alarming 35 percent
of all patients awaiting kidneys. This increase may
be attributed, in part, to the escalating number of
African Americans with conditions that can lead to the
need for transplants, such as diabetes, high blood pressure
and heart disease.
Mama's Boyz follows an African-American family led by
Pauline Porter, a widow who lost her husband several
years ago to diabetes. When she's not running the family
bookstore, she's keeping an eye on her two teenage sons,
Tyrell and Yusuf. Over the years, the strip has addressed
other social and health issues such as teen pregnancy
and diabetes, making it a perfect fit for the Coalition's
message.
"We
feel that putting this information in a comic strip
will help reach new audiences in a non-threatening manner,"
said Tina Evans Caines, Chair of the Coalition's National
African American Campaign. "Recent research shows that
only 39 percent of African Americans who support organ
and tissue donation actually become donors. This is
compared to 49 percent of the general population. To
meet our community's growing need we must find creative
ways to bridge this gap."
Mama's Boyz is currently a part of the King Features
Weekly Service - a collection of comics and columns
distributed to more than 1,500 newspapers around the
world - making Jerry Craft one of only six African-American
cartoonists to have a strip distributed by a major syndicate.
"Before
getting involved with the Coalition, I wasn't aware
that so many African Americans are waiting for transplants,"
said Craft, "and I'm sure they're many others in the
same boat. But, once I found out, I knew I had to get
involved. It's real simple...organ donors can help save
the lives of others."
The Coalition's outreach to the Black community has
been supported by some of the nation's leading African
American organizations, specifically the National Medical
Association, National Urban League, NAACP, National
Newspaper Publishers Association and the Congressional
Black Caucus Healthcare Braintrust. The comic strip
series is part of a continuing effort to increase the
number of African American donors.
Founded in 1992, the Coalition on Donation is a not-for-profit
alliance of national organizations and local coalitions
across the United States, dedicated to inspiring all
people to donate life through organ, eye and tissue
donation.
To learn more about how to Donate Life or request a
free copy of the brochure You Have the Power to Donate
Life, visit www.donatelife.net
or call 1-866-LETS-GIVE (1-866-538-7448).
Wendy K. Campbell
703-683-7793 (ph)
703-683-7712 (fx)
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