LAFAYETTE PARISH — March is National Kidney Month, highlighting the urgent need for organ donors as more than 80% of people on Louisiana's transplant waiting list hope for a kidney.
For Lafayette resident Pesh Patel, the wait is deeply personal. After his first transplant failed, he is back on dialysis and waiting for another chance at life.
Patel, the CEO and founder of A Kidney Life, shared his message in Lafayette Monday, March 31st. He thanked OMV employees for asking residents to register as organ donors.
"For somebody that's a recipient for a second time now, it's so important. In the state of Louisiana we have approximately 2,000 people waiting for, organ transplant. Nationally there are over 100,000 people that need an organ transplant, and almost 90% of those are kidney patients, and 13 to 17 people die a day waiting on a transplant. So it's so important for people to register to become an organ donor because... When you become an organ donor, you get to save up to eight lives," Patel said.
Officials say that one question can open the door to saving lives.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
