Written by Zoe Engels, Contributing Writer and Editor
Throughout August, SODA has been celebrating National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month (NMDAM), a month-long celebration dedicated to raising awareness for donation and transplantation among multicultural communities hosted by the National (Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation) Multicultural Action Group.
SODA is proud to be a part of NMAG!
According to Donate Life America, of the more than 100,000 people currently on the national transplant waiting list, more than 60 percent represent multicultural communities. Increasing the diversity of donor pools makes it easier for those on the waiting list to find a match.
Now and every month, SODA strives to acknowledge the importance of donation among multicultural communities. We’re rounding out NMDAM by spotlighting Keshav Kumar, the founder of SODA at the Advanced Math and Science Academy, who has done tremendous work on his campus to raise awareness and help educate his peers about multicultural organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation.
Around the time of the end of his freshman year, Keshav received the devastating news that his best friend had developed kidney cancer and would lose one of his kidneys, leaving him at a higher risk of needing a kidney donor in the future.
“I knew then and there that I had found the battle I wanted to fight,” Keshav told SODA via email. “Although I would have immediately donated one of my own kidneys for him, I also knew it was more complicated than that. I knew that getting an organ transplant was one of the hardest things to do in our healthcare system, but not why.”
As he began to find out more, Keshav learned of the immense need for organ donation education and registration as he saw the disparity between the support for organ donation and donation rates; an estimated 90% of adults in the U.S. support organ donation while only 60% are registered as donors, according to the Health Services & Services Administration.
“I realized how much bigger this was than just my friend,” Keshav added. “I knew I had to do something. So when I stumbled upon SODA, founding a chapter was a no-brainer and one of the best decisions I have made.”
When we asked Keshav what donation means to him, he told us that he views it as one of the bravest things a person can do.
“The willingness to give up parts of yourself in order to help others live is the epitome of human kindness,” he explained. “I am fortunate to be healthy and not require a donation in the foreseeable future, but I know that one day I, or somebody I love, might, and I want to ensure that they will be able to live a proper life. Organ donation means giving life, and that is the most important thing that one can do.”
Thanks to the passion and dedication of the student leaders and members of SODA at Advanced Math and Science Academy, they received SODA’s 2024 “Most Impactful Multicultural Outreach” Award.
Keshav said one of the chapter’s goals has been to reach out to different communities and cultures, especially the South Asian community.
This past spring, the chapter hosted a registration drive at a local Eid al-Fitr community celebration that one member, Malav Ravula, had heard about. Malav played a central role in organizing the event, working with the celebration’s coordinators to problem-solve any challenges and plan the successful event.
“Thankfully, we had a great community response, especially from the younger attendees,” Keshav said. “We were approached again and again, asked various questions, and helped to … register some as donors. … Overall, it was an event that welcomed us with open arms and [one] I would repeat if asked back.”
If you’re inspired by Keshav and would like to host an event or start a chapter, visit sodanational.org/students to get started.
Among Keshav’s other favorite events was a table run for his local OPO, New England Donor Services, at Worcester State University’s Wellness Expo. He explained that while he loves speaking with his fellow high schoolers, he really enjoyed the depth of the conversations with Worcester State University’s students and staff, providing him with a glimpse at the work that Keshav can do in the future.
In honor of NMDAM, and on the topic of the importance of multicultural organ donation, Keshav told SODA, “Talking to other students means that you are shaping somebody's life, and if you are able to get them to open up to organ donation, then it won't be an issue for them in the future. Students shape the future, and by teaching them, I am hopefully able to make organ donation a prominent topic of discussion.”
He added, “Unfortunately, many cultures either ignore or disapprove of organ donation due to a lack of information. I saw this with my own eyes when I was first starting my journey with SODA when talking to my parents. When I realized they had never even thought about it, it struck me that there are lots of people like them that must have done the same.”
“That's why multicultural outreach is such an important step towards eliminating the organ donation waiting list,” he said. “it educates the large pockets of people that never thought of it or simply ignored it. By educating them, it introduces new possible donors and the idea of being one for future members of the culture.”
We can’t wait to see all that the future holds for Keshav and SODA at the Advanced Math and Science Academy!
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