LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In Clark County, the month of August is now known as National Minority Donor Awareness Month.
Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson provided Nevada Donor Network with the proclamation to help bring awareness to the high demand for organs from minority groups in the Las Vegas valley.
Bernice Lopez is a heart transplant recipient and knows firsthand the importance of this lifesaving gift.
"To use my experience to help others just means so much because I don't want any of my pain to be wasted," said Lopez.
She says she began her painful journey in 2001 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and beat it. Then in 2008 her breast cancer returned, and she won the battle once again, but her chemotherapy was too much for her heart, and was later diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
Lopez’s heart was treated, but it was getting worse. Her doctors said the only option was a heart transplant, but Lopez had to wait due to other medical complications
"It was a hard battle," Lopez said.
In 2015, she was fitted with a device that helped keep her alive until she could get a transplant. She says the hardest part was having her two sons see her in a hospital bed in a poor condition.
"It was basically a heart pump attached to my heart, I had a wire coming out of my stomach, I had 8 pounds of batteries hanging," said Lopez.
After 7 years, Bernice finally received the call she was waiting for. Someone called her letting her know that a donated heart was ready for her. She says the emotions were overwhelming.
"I realized this other family they were losing a loved one I was so overjoyed, but I just was like they are giving up this ultimate sacrifice so that I can live so that I can see my children graduate high school so that I continue having this wonderful life," Lopez said.
She hopes to one day meet the family of her donor to thank them for giving her another chance at life. Like herself, she believes her donor is also Hispanic.
"Somebody when they were at the DMV they chose to give me life, they knew that when they pass away they were giving me life and every day when I wake up I honor their life," Bernice said.
There are 618 Nevadans waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, that's up from 593 currently last year.
Minority communities often suffer from conditions such as diabetes and heart disease which increase the risk of organ failure.
