LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — This week marks 15 years since Las Vegas resident Dinorah Arambula received a kidney transplant that forever changed her life.
“The reason I always keep my donor very high is that he saved my life and gave his life or her life for me to stay alive and get a second chance,” Arambula said.
Arambula said the transplant not only saved her life but changed the way she thinks about being an organ donor, something she admits, as a Latina, she always questioned before.
“Because I feel like I need to take this experience out there, my story, to be listened to, especially for my community, because I noticed that the Latino community, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about organ donation. I used to be in the same situation,” she said.
Addressing misconceptions
Federal data shows Latinos make up nearly a quarter of people on the organ transplant waiting list, even though far fewer are registered as organ donors.
“The most common misconception is that I have an accident and they see a mother and donor, they won’t save my life, that’s totally false, that’s totally out of the way,” Arambula said.
For Arambula, everything changed the moment she needed a transplant herself.
“The first thing I did was go to the DMV to change my driver’s license and put my heart, signed up to be an organ donor,” she said.
Now she volunteers with the Nevada Donor Network, hoping her story will inspire other Latinos and break down cultural misconceptions.
“I can show the world that organ donation really works, my transplant gave me a second chance, and I just enjoyed it to the fullest,” she said.
Today, Arambula stays active and even competes on Team USA in the World Transplant Games. She said she thanks the hero who helped her get there all those years ago.
The Nevada Donor Network says it is always welcoming more volunteers. To learn more about how to volunteer, visit the Nevada Donor Network official website.
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