Jacqueline Glover remembers the moment her life became focused on small, measured breaths. In 2010, the Hamden mother was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that affects the lungs and lymph nodes. For Glover, it meant constant fatigue, daily reliance on a portable oxygen machine an d the looming knowledge that her time could be limited. Even as she continued to work and care for her two sons, every action required careful planning. “I could feel myself slowing down,” Glover recalled. “I knew something was wrong, but I also knew I had to keep going for my kids.” That year, Glover was placed on the national transplant list, joining thousands of Black patients facing organ failure. Across the country, Black Americans are disproportionately affected by conditions that lead to organ failure, from kidney disease to diabetes and heart issues. In 2025, more than 27% of all patients on the national waiting list for an organ transplant were Black — representing more than 28,000 people — despite U.S. Census data showing less than 14% of the U.S. population identify as Black. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reports that non-Hispanic white patients made up about 38.5% of the waiting list in 2025, Hispanic patients made up about 23.7% and non-Hispanic Black patients accounted for 27.8% of patients on the list. For Glover, the wait for a transplant was both physical and emotional. She was not only waiting for a phone call, but also living every day with worsening symptoms that made even simple tasks difficult. Each day brought uncertainty as she continued to work and care for her sons while relying on oxygen and managing the toll the disease was taking on her body. Then, on Christmas Day 2015, the call she had been hoping for finally came. She received a double lung transplant. “I woke up and I could breathe again,” Glover said. “It was the most beautiful Christmas gift I could have ever received. I felt like I had a second chance at life.” Her donor was a young person she had never met, but the generosity of that unknown individual changed Glover’s life forever. Today, she thrives, running, laughing and fully participating in her children’s lives. She also dedicates herself to advocacy. Glover volunteers with New England Donor Services to educate communities, especially communities of color, about the life-saving power of organ donation. Brittany Tucker, left, stands with her family after a church service alongside Rev. Anthony Bennett, right, in Bridgeport. Tucker later became an organ donor, a decision that helped save and improve the lives of dozens of people. Credit: Courtesy of Rev. Bennett While Glover’s story is one of receiving life, Rev. Anthony Bennett, pastor at Mount Aery Baptist Church in Bridgeport, knows the impact of donation from the other side. His daughter, Brittany Tucker, died in 2019 after suffering a brain aneurysm at the age of 30. It was only after her death that the family learned Tucker had registered as an organ donor. “We didn’t know,” Bennett said. “She had put it on her license, and it was something she decided on her own. I can remember feeling a mix of grief and awe when I realized that so many lives would be touched because of her decision.” Tucker’s organs and tissue were recovered and distributed to multiple recipients. Her kidney went to her own brother, while skin grafts and stem cells helped dozens more. Although the family was grieving, there was a sense of purpose in Tucker’s gift. “Out of my daughter’s death came new life,” Bennett said. “She taught us about unconditional love in a way we never expected. Even in her passing, she was giving. “Knowing that people are living because of my daughter helps us process the grief,” he said. “It does not take away the pain, but it does remind us that her life and her choices mattered.” Mark Brevard, senior director of multicultural community outreach at New England Donor Services, works every day to bridge the gap between communities and the lifesaving gift of organ donation. He said historical mistrust of the medical system often makes discussions about donation particularly sensitive in Black communities. In 2025, less than 13% of donors — or roughly 3,000 people — were Black. “There is a legacy of trauma,” Brevard said. “From Tuskegee to Henrietta Lacks, there are real reasons why trust is fragile. But transparency and education can change that.” In the Tuskegee syphilis study, hundreds of Black men were left untreated without their knowledge over a 40-year period. And in the case of Henrietta Lacks, who was African American, her cells were taken without consent and used in ground-breaking research without her family’s knowledge. Mark Brevard, Senior Director of Multicultural Community Outreach at New England Donor Services, holds a “Donate Life” sign while engaging with community members at a local event, helping raise awareness about organ donation and its importance in communities of color. Credit: Courtesy of New England Donor Services Brevard said some people fear registering as donors because they think doctors might not try to save their lives if they are known donors. Others may incorrectly believe their religion prohibits donation. “Those are myths,” he said. “Doctors’ first priority is always to save lives. Being registered as a donor does not change that. And many faiths actually encourage donation as a form of love and service to others.” Education, Brevard says, is critical. By informing communities about how donation works, how safeguards protect patients and how it can save multiple lives, more people can make informed decisions, he said. “We want families to have conversations before a tragedy happens,” he said. “When the time comes, it is not overwhelming. People understand the choice, and they can honor the wishes of their loved one.” Wasim Dar, a transplant surgeon at Hartford HealthCare, said racial inequities can crop up at several points in a patient’s journey to a transplant. Disparities in care access and quality can result in delayed diagnoses of chronic organ disease and lower the likelihood of getting a timely referral to a specialist or transplant center. There have been efforts to close the racial gaps in treating organ failure. As recently as five years ago, the test used to evaluate kidney function included a race-based adjustment that assumed Black patients had higher kidney function. That often made their kidneys appear healthier than they actually were, which could delay when they qualified for a transplant. In 2021, the National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology removed race as a factor. As a result, thousands of Black patients were moved up on the waiting list. Dar called the change “encouraging,” but said there’s still lots of work to be done. “That is only one component of fixing those multiple steps to getting more African Americans transplanted,” Dar said. For Glover, advocacy has become personal. “I know what it feels like to wait and hope,” she said. “I want others to know that there are people out there willing to help, willing to give them the gift of life. That is why I volunteer. That is why I speak up.” Bennett also volunteers with New England Donor Services, speaking openly about his daughter’s generosity and the lives she saved. “It’s about breaking myths and showing that organ donation is about love,” he said. “Even in our hardest moments, we can choose to give something that matters.” Sharing stories like Glover’s and Tucker’s can often help shine a light on the need for more donors, particularly in Black communities where disparities persist. “These are real lives, real people,” Brevard said. “And every time someone chooses to donate, they are giving a chance at life, a chance for families to keep going, a chance for communities to thrive. That is why we continue to educate, to support, and to honor those who make this choice.” ...read more read less