Native Drums
Explore the powerful symbolism of drums in African American culture, once tools of communication and resistance during the darkest times of slavery. We confront the lingering shadows of economic exploitation and the pervasive influence of media and religion in controlling black narratives. Let’s reexamine the role of the black church and its mission to fight systemic injustices, urging a return to prophetic ministries that prioritize humanity and community over material wealth. This podcast episode is not just a reflection of the past but a call to action for the future, urging us to build a more just and liberated world.
Native Drums
One Donor Can Save Eight Lives If We Talk About It
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That tiny heart icon on a driver’s license can spark a huge question: do people really understand what organ and tissue donation means, and what actually happens when the time comes? We sit down with Chassity Benjamin, Community Events Coordinator at We Are Sharing Hope SC, to make the process plain, honest, and human for anyone in South Carolina thinking about the donor registry.
We walk through the basics of organ donation and tissue donation, including what can be donated and the life-changing impact of transplantation. Chassity explains how one organ donor can save up to eight lives, and why tissue donation is often overlooked even though it can save and enhance dozens more through things like corneas, skin, vessels, and heart valves. We also talk about living donation versus deceased donation and where Sharing Hope SC fits as an organ procurement organization supporting the gift of life at the end of life.
Then we address the myths head-on: the fear that doctors won’t try as hard to save you, confusion about the DMV donor check box, and the mistrust that can be especially strong in multicultural communities. Chassity breaks down why medical teams focus on saving the patient in front of them, why OPOs do not declare death, and why your family conversations matter as much as registration. You’ll also hear an inspiring recipient story and learn how donor family services and aftercare can support letters and connections over time.
If you care about kidney transplant need, hypertension, diabetes, and health equity in South Carolina, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who avoids the topic, and leave a review with the myth you want to see eliminated next.
Welcome And Guest Introduction
SPEAKER_01Hello everyone and welcome to Native Drums. On the podcast today, I have with me one of the blessed babies of our church, Chassity Benjamin. And Chastity works with We Are Sharing Hope, South Carolina. Welcome to Native Drums, Chassity.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. So, you know, we always like to support our babies and whatever they are doing. And in this walk of life. So let's tell our viewers what it is that you do. You coordinate events for sharing. We are sharing Hope, South Carolina.
What Sharing Hope SC Does
SPEAKER_01And let them know exactly what We Are Sharing Hope, South Carolina is about.
SPEAKER_00Yes, so we are sharing Hope SC is the organ and tissue recovery services for the state of South Carolina. So we help facilitate the gift of life at the end of life. And I am on the communication side as the community events coordinator. So I take advantage of raising awareness and educating the community about signing up to be registered organ I and Tissue Donors.
SPEAKER_01So you said raising awareness.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01Now some people are apprehensive about donating their organs. And um, but not only um is it about donating organs to tissue, but it's also about transplants.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01As well. So let's go through those particular um stages, those components as to um what they are when it comes to and how it relates to um human beings when it comes to donating and what's the process and and the mindset. I understand. Yeah, let's deal with that mindset.
SPEAKER_00No, I understand. Um so again, uh we help facilitate the gift of life at the end of life. So one organ donor can save up to eight lives. We have eight organs, yes. Heart, um lungs, kidneys, liver, um, small intestines, and also pancreas. Oh, okay. And of course, with uh tissue donation, you can save and enhance up to 75 lives. And when I say tissue donation, it means cornea, not your actual eyeball or skin, which we take from the back and also from the thigh area. Blood vessels, heart valves, um veins, and with tissue donation, which you don't hear a lot about tissue donation, but tissue donation helps enhance, save lives through women going through breast reconstruction. Um, ACR tours that also help with uh tissue donation as well. Um I know there's a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding donation, especially in the multicultural community, a lot of the mistrust. Um, but that is why I go out into the communities to raise awareness and educate about being a registered organ eye and tissue donor, of course. Um, we do cover the entire state of South Carolina, except for Aiken and Edgeville counties due to it being on the border of Georgia. That's the only reason. Really? Yeah. And we do partner up with Donate Life SC, um, where you're at the DMV, you know, you check the box to be in a registered donor. Yes, that beautiful heart that's on your driver's license, that is important if you do want to be a registered donor. But the most important thing is telling your legal next to can your decision
Donor Registry Myths And Family Consent
SPEAKER_00of honoring that decision that you want to be an organ donor at the end of life.
SPEAKER_01Well, I've experienced um not checking the box and the heart shows up on So how does that happen?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so now that is something different. Now, technically, we before you hopefully you did not leave the DMV when you saw that, hopefully you went back in there and said, Oh no, ma'am.
SPEAKER_01Well, I did, and I just it was on there for several years for the duration of Really Uh-huh, until it was um until I had to renew my license.
SPEAKER_00Okay, wow. Well, I'm sorry that happened to you because technically that is not supposed to happen. Um, because again, when you check the box, like, and again, the D and V employees, they're supposed to ask anyway. And they are supposed to explain to the community what you're checking the box for.
SPEAKER_01Right. Oh, okay. So they have the place. No adjustment.
SPEAKER_00So we have to do more education for our DMV employees. Uh, we of course with Donate Life SC, but again, you don't have to have the heart in your driver's license. The most important thing you have in the conversation, normalizing those conversations of being the uh wanting to be an organ donor at the end of life. Yes, you can have the heart on your driver's license, but guess what? Your family, whoever that might be, could override that. Oh, really? And so that's why I'm out in the community raising awareness, like tell your family, tell whoever, your friends, that at the end of life, if the hospital has done all that they could do for you, and again, the doctors have declared you dead. OPOs, which is organ procurement organization, we do not declare death, okay? We do not uh it's all on the medical professionals. Um, they have to declare you dead. Um, and if again your family has to honor that decision, you being an organ owner. We can't just go in there and say, Okay, you're gonna be an organ owner. No, that's not how that works. That is not the way that we work. Um we have to get that consent from the family.
SPEAKER_01Okay, all right. So um like my dear son here, Cash, mentioned that. Um and it like you said, the misconception of that that they may just because they know that you're an organ donor, that they'll just not even try to save your life if there's a situation like that. So how do you um dismantle that misconception?
SPEAKER_00You know, and I hear that all the time. If they see the harm I drive line, they're not gonna save our save their lives. And that's so again not true. Again, the doctors, uh the medical professionals, they they take an oath in school that they have to do all that they could do for that patient right in front of them. None of the doctors know who's on the wait list, okay? They're trying to do all the things to save their life of their patient in front of them. So, yes, but again, like I mentioned before, yes, it's important to have a be a registered donor, have the heart in your driving license, but the most important thing is having those conversations with your family.
SPEAKER_01With your family. Yeah. So um here on the website, it talks about um stories. Yes, inspiring stories.
Doctors Save Lives First
SPEAKER_01So do you have an inspiring story maybe that we can relate to?
SPEAKER_00Favorite. Um, they're they're all so precious. And of course, we have donor families who we call um our donor families are the ones that said yes and honor their donor, a hero, who was their loved one that gave the decision of giving the gift of life. Um, and then we also have recipients who receive the gift of life, that second chance.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And then, of course, we still um pay honor to our living donors. Um, because you can be a living donor. There's only two organs that you can do as a living donor. Um, and that is a kidney and uh liver, a part of your liver. Okay. But again, on our side, on we are sharing Hope S, our donors are deceased donors. So but again, transplantation, all about
A Heart Recipient Story And Aftercare
SPEAKER_00saving lives. But yes, well, on our side, our donors are deceased.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so tell us one of the stories, one of your favorite stories.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think all of them are my favorite, but I can say um I want to talk about Angela, Angela Washington. She is a heart recipient. Um, and she received her heart back in December, I do believe it was a couple years ago. Um but she hasn't reached out to her donor family just yet, but I think she's on, you know, coming towards that, I guess. And then sometimes the recipients take time to want to reach out to that donor family, which is understanding, right? Um but Angela, she's so thankful she's into the church, um, and she's always sharing her story. I always let her come with me, especially when I'm in the community, like the Black Expo, and like seeing her as a heart recipient, like someone passed away in order for her to have a second chance at life to continue to work and continue to see her family, you know, stuff like that. And I think that is such a blessing that she is still here with us and she started her own nonprofit as well.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay, all right, okay, awesome, awesome. So, you know, um I guess that's something that we that I didn't think of um uh whenever you have received the organ uh from um a deceased person how to deal with that family who of the deceased and whether they would want to be a part of you know your life or uh to know where the organ who received the organ.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Uh we do have uh one of our departments, it's our DFS department, and it's our donor family services aftercare. And of course, um a lot of the transplant recipients do send their letters to want to reach out to the donor family. Sometimes they want to reach out and sometimes they don't, but it all depends. But we've had a couple occasions where the donor family has met um their loved ones, kidney recipient or liver recipient. So it's certain things like that, and that's the you know the beautiful thing about donation and life-saving mission.
SPEAKER_01Okay, all right.
Community Events Schools And Churches
SPEAKER_01So um with you coordinating events, so what type of events do do you all have when it comes to um organ donors?
SPEAKER_00Yes, so um we go, well, I go everywhere, I feel like, except for Aiken and Edgeville counties. Um, for instance, um our headquarters is in Charleston, South Carolina, so that's where we are based. But um we have an office in Columbia and also in Greenville, South Carolina. Um, so next Saturday we have our community health fair where we talk about mental health, us, sharing hope, and donate life SC as well, and bringing the community into our beautiful office space. Um, and of course, it's back to school, which school has already started, but we still give back to the community.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Um I'll be in Florence again at Hope Health doing their event. So, of course, I come just again, just educate and raise awareness with the community, especially heart on like health-related um health festivals or health fairs.
SPEAKER_01So that education is important.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it is very much so, yes. And I do um go to schools as well and talk to the students. Oh, okay. Yes, and I come to again, I'll have like a few minutes with churches as well, make a you know, a little spiel during the church service, and I'll have like a vendor table out if any of you know the community congregation want to come and talk about what they heard. So yeah.
Volunteers Resources And Closing
SPEAKER_01So I see on the website there's a volunteer component. So what's that about?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so Heroes for Hope is what it's called. Heroes for Hope. Um, and we have multiple um volunteers. So we have donor families and we also have recipients. And of course we have other community partners just understand the mission of who we are and what we do as a life saving mission.
SPEAKER_01So yeah. So they can um so they go and inspire the community and and as well as help to educate.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Because sometimes when people see me in the community, oh, they like, oh, of course she's gonna say that because she worked for the organization, but when they see like a recipient who actually received a gift or a donor family that actually honored their low-in-cause their decision of um transplanting their organs, you know, so it's it's good on both sides.
SPEAKER_01Okay, all right. So if any of our viewers want more information about um organ donors or about um the transplants and what have you, how do they reach out?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, they can um look at our website. Uh we uh I can say sharinghope sc.org, or they can go to donatelife sc.org as well to learn more um about donation. I do want to say um the number one organ that's in here in South Carolina is kidney due to hypertension, diabetes, and other kidney diseases, and of course the multicultural community is like 65% of that. So that's the biggest thing. Um that's why I'm here just to educate and raising awareness.
SPEAKER_01Oh right. Well, we are um thankful for that because like you said, education is vital. Yes, man. And this is something that we don't talk about. We don't. We really don't. Uh, because uh when I found out that that's the the type of work you were in, I said, oh, okay, that's different.
SPEAKER_00Yes. I've always been a part of the the nonprofit world, but also saving lives at the same time.
SPEAKER_01Of course. Of course, of course. Well, that's wonderful. We're very proud of you.
SPEAKER_00Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for having me, Ken. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01Oh, our pleasure, our pleasure. And um, whenever you have an event in the area or anything that's going on, just come and let us know, okay?
SPEAKER_00I will definitely do that, yes. I sure will.
SPEAKER_01Okay, all right. Well, thanks, Chastity, for coming.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01Our pleasure. All right, everyone. We thank you ever so much for watching uh Native Drums here at Savannah Grove Baptist Church. So um make sure you tune in each Sunday, 6 o'clock p.m. for Native Drums. Thank you so much for watching. I'm Jocelia Williams, your host.
