The Gift of Life: Organ Donation - Dinner & Conversation

The Gift of Life: Organ Donation – Dinner & Conversation

PEEKSKILL, N.Y.— According to the National Kidney Foundation, black people suffer from kidney failure more than three times as often as white people—but this need not be death sentence. On the contrary, regardless of our race, many of us unknowingly possess the gift of life. The Health and Education Ministry of Mount Olivet Baptist Church will shine light on this subject by sponsoring a forum entitled “The Gift of Life: Organ Donation,” on October 20th in the church fellowship hall. The symposium, which starts at 7 pm, is free and open to the public.

Dr. Daniel Glicklich, kidney transplant coordinator at the Westchester Medical Center, will be the featured speaker. With over thirty years of experience, Dr. Glicklich, a founding member of the New York Transplant Nephrology Consortium, helped build Montefiore Hospital into one of the largest and most progressive transplant programs in New York. Dr. Glicklich will talk about the physiology and function of the kidney, as well as what happens during dialysis and during a transplant.

Other speakers at the forum will provide a less technical frame of reference; someone in need of a kidney as well as someone who has already received a kidney donation will share their stories. These people will put a human face on the issue.

Kidney disease is running rampant in our society. The National Kidney Foundation reports the following:

On average:

• Over 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month.
• 12 people die each day while waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant.
• Every 14 minutes someone is added to the kidney transplant list.
• In 2014, 4,270 patients died while waiting for a kidney transplant. Another, 3,617people became too sick to receive a kidney transplant.
• African Americans constitute more than 32% of all patients in the U.S. receiving dialysis for kidney failure, but only represent 13% of the overall U.S. population.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as Caucasians.
• High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure among African Americans.

To attend this potentially life-saving seminar, pre-registration is requested; as an added bonus, a light dinner will be provided at 6:30 pm, prior to the forum discussion.

Please call the church office at (914) 737-7567 to sign up.

Under the energetic leadership of the Rev. Dr. Robert E. Young, Senior Pastor, the Mount Olivet Baptist Church is growing and thriving. Learn more about MOBC’s exciting new developments and weekly activities by calling the church office at 914-737-7567 or stay connected by visiting our website at www.mountolivetbc.org