WEBVTT
00:00:04.240 -->
00:00:07.280Hello everyone and welcome to Native Drums.
00:00:07.599 -->
00:00:15.119On the podcast today, I have with me one of the blessed babies of our church, Chassity Benjamin.
00:00:15.359 -->
00:00:20.800And Chastity works with We Are Sharing Hope, South Carolina.
00:00:20.960 -->
00:00:22.559Welcome to Native Drums, Chassity.
00:00:22.800 -->
00:00:23.280Thank you so much.
00:00:23.440 -->
00:00:24.320Thank you for having me.
00:00:24.640 -->
00:00:25.359Yes, yes.
00:00:25.519 -->
00:00:30.800So, you know, we always like to support our babies and whatever they are doing.
00:00:32.159 -->
00:00:34.159And in this walk of life.
00:00:34.479 -->
00:00:38.159So let's tell our viewers what it is that you do.
00:00:38.320 -->
00:00:42.320You coordinate events for sharing.
00:00:42.560 -->
00:00:44.880We are sharing Hope, South Carolina.
00:00:45.039 -->
00:00:49.039And let them know exactly what We Are Sharing Hope, South Carolina is about.
00:00:49.280 -->
00:00:54.799Yes, so we are sharing Hope SC is the organ and tissue recovery services for the state of South Carolina.
00:00:54.880 -->
00:00:57.759So we help facilitate the gift of life at the end of life.
00:00:57.920 -->
00:01:02.079And I am on the communication side as the community events coordinator.
00:01:02.320 -->
00:01:10.000So I take advantage of raising awareness and educating the community about signing up to be registered organ I and Tissue Donors.
00:01:10.799 -->
00:01:13.200So you said raising awareness.
00:01:13.519 -->
00:01:14.079Yes, yes, yes.
00:01:14.400 -->
00:01:18.799Now some people are apprehensive about donating their organs.
00:01:19.359 -->
00:01:26.319And um, but not only um is it about donating organs to tissue, but it's also about transplants.
00:01:26.480 -->
00:01:26.719Yeah.
00:01:27.120 -->
00:01:27.439As well.
00:01:27.760 -->
00:01:44.719So 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.
00:01:44.959 -->
00:01:45.200I understand.
00:01:45.359 -->
00:01:46.719Yeah, let's deal with that mindset.
00:01:47.040 -->
00:01:47.599No, I understand.
00:01:47.920 -->
00:01:51.680Um so again, uh we help facilitate the gift of life at the end of life.
00:01:51.840 -->
00:01:54.319So one organ donor can save up to eight lives.
00:01:54.480 -->
00:01:56.079We have eight organs, yes.
00:01:56.319 -->
00:02:02.000Heart, um lungs, kidneys, liver, um, small intestines, and also pancreas.
00:02:02.159 -->
00:02:02.480Oh, okay.
00:02:02.719 -->
00:02:07.200And of course, with uh tissue donation, you can save and enhance up to 75 lives.
00:02:07.280 -->
00:02:15.360And 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.
00:02:15.680 -->
00:02:27.199Blood 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.
00:02:27.280 -->
00:02:31.280Um, ACR tours that also help with uh tissue donation as well.
00:02:31.439 -->
00:02:38.080Um I know there's a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding donation, especially in the multicultural community, a lot of the mistrust.
00:02:38.159 -->
00:02:46.080Um, 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.
00:02:46.240 -->
00:02:52.080Um, we do cover the entire state of South Carolina, except for Aiken and Edgeville counties due to it being on the border of Georgia.
00:02:52.159 -->
00:02:52.960That's the only reason.
00:02:53.280 -->
00:02:53.520Really?
00:02:53.680 -->
00:02:53.840Yeah.
00:02:53.919 -->
00:03:00.240And 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.
00:03:00.479 -->
00:03:05.680Yes, that beautiful heart that's on your driver's license, that is important if you do want to be a registered donor.
00:03:05.759 -->
00:03:14.159But the most important thing is telling your legal next to can your decision of honoring that decision that you want to be an organ donor at the end of life.
00:03:14.479 -->
00:03:22.319Well, I've experienced um not checking the box and the heart shows up on So how does that happen?
00:03:22.719 -->
00:03:24.560Okay, so now that is something different.
00:03:24.719 -->
00:03:31.439Now, 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.
00:03:31.919 -->
00:03:42.080Well, 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.
00:03:42.400 -->
00:03:42.800Okay, wow.
00:03:42.879 -->
00:03:46.000Well, I'm sorry that happened to you because technically that is not supposed to happen.
00:03:46.240 -->
00:03:52.159Um, because again, when you check the box, like, and again, the D and V employees, they're supposed to ask anyway.
00:03:52.240 -->
00:03:55.919And they are supposed to explain to the community what you're checking the box for.
00:03:56.639 -->
00:03:56.879Right.
00:03:56.960 -->
00:03:57.199Oh, okay.
00:03:57.360 -->
00:03:59.039So they have the place.
00:03:59.199 -->
00:03:59.680No adjustment.
00:04:00.319 -->
00:04:02.960So we have to do more education for our DMV employees.
00:04:03.199 -->
00:04:08.800Uh, we of course with Donate Life SC, but again, you don't have to have the heart in your driver's license.
00:04:08.960 -->
00:04:15.680The 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.
00:04:15.919 -->
00:04:18.560Yes, you can have the heart on your driver's license, but guess what?
00:04:18.639 -->
00:04:21.040Your family, whoever that might be, could override that.
00:04:21.199 -->
00:04:21.600Oh, really?
00:04:21.759 -->
00:04:34.399And 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.
00:04:34.560 -->
00:04:38.879OPOs, which is organ procurement organization, we do not declare death, okay?
00:04:39.120 -->
00:04:42.399We do not uh it's all on the medical professionals.
00:04:42.480 -->
00:04:44.560Um, they have to declare you dead.
00:04:44.720 -->
00:04:50.160Um, and if again your family has to honor that decision, you being an organ owner.
00:04:50.240 -->
00:04:52.319We can't just go in there and say, Okay, you're gonna be an organ owner.
00:04:52.399 -->
00:04:53.199No, that's not how that works.
00:04:53.600 -->
00:04:55.279That is not the way that we work.
00:04:55.439 -->
00:04:57.519Um we have to get that consent from the family.
00:04:57.839 -->
00:04:58.720Okay, all right.
00:04:58.959 -->
00:05:05.759So um like my dear son here, Cash, mentioned that.
00:05:06.000 -->
00:05:25.759Um 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.
00:05:26.319 -->
00:05:29.519So how do you um dismantle that misconception?
00:05:29.839 -->
00:05:31.199You know, and I hear that all the time.
00:05:31.360 -->
00:05:34.319If they see the harm I drive line, they're not gonna save our save their lives.
00:05:34.480 -->
00:05:36.000And that's so again not true.
00:05:36.079 -->
00:05:42.720Again, 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.
00:05:42.879 -->
00:05:45.360None of the doctors know who's on the wait list, okay?
00:05:45.519 -->
00:05:49.680They're trying to do all the things to save their life of their patient in front of them.
00:05:49.759 -->
00:05:58.879So, 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.
00:05:59.120 -->
00:05:59.680With your family.
00:05:59.839 -->
00:06:00.079Yeah.
00:06:00.319 -->
00:06:04.639So um here on the website, it talks about um stories.
00:06:04.800 -->
00:06:06.160Yes, inspiring stories.
00:06:06.399 -->
00:06:11.439So do you have an inspiring story maybe that we can relate to?
00:06:12.000 -->
00:06:12.560Favorite.
00:06:12.639 -->
00:06:15.040Um, they're they're all so precious.
00:06:15.120 -->
00:06:26.639And 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.
00:06:26.959 -->
00:06:31.040Um, and then we also have recipients who receive the gift of life, that second chance.
00:06:31.199 -->
00:06:31.439Right.
00:06:31.600 -->
00:06:35.680And then, of course, we still um pay honor to our living donors.
00:06:35.759 -->
00:06:37.759Um, because you can be a living donor.
00:06:37.839 -->
00:06:40.160There's only two organs that you can do as a living donor.
00:06:40.240 -->
00:06:43.680Um, and that is a kidney and uh liver, a part of your liver.
00:06:43.759 -->
00:06:43.920Okay.
00:06:44.079 -->
00:06:48.240But again, on our side, on we are sharing Hope S, our donors are deceased donors.
00:06:48.319 -->
00:06:50.720So but again, transplantation, all about saving lives.
00:06:50.800 -->
00:06:53.519But yes, well, on our side, our donors are deceased.
00:06:53.920 -->
00:06:57.600Okay, so tell us one of the stories, one of your favorite stories.
00:06:57.920 -->
00:07:06.399Well, I think all of them are my favorite, but I can say um I want to talk about Angela, Angela Washington.
00:07:06.480 -->
00:07:07.839She is a heart recipient.
00:07:08.160 -->
00:07:12.879Um, and she received her heart back in December, I do believe it was a couple years ago.
00:07:13.120 -->
00:07:20.879Um 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.
00:07:21.199 -->
00:07:26.800And then sometimes the recipients take time to want to reach out to that donor family, which is understanding, right?
00:07:27.279 -->
00:07:32.560Um but Angela, she's so thankful she's into the church, um, and she's always sharing her story.
00:07:32.720 -->
00:07:46.639I 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.
00:07:46.720 -->
00:07:51.680And I think that is such a blessing that she is still here with us and she started her own nonprofit as well.
00:07:52.000 -->
00:07:54.959Oh, okay, all right, okay, awesome, awesome.
00:07:55.120 -->
00:08:20.399So, 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.
00:08:20.879 -->
00:08:21.120Yeah.
00:08:21.279 -->
00:08:27.519Uh we do have uh one of our departments, it's our DFS department, and it's our donor family services aftercare.
00:08:27.600 -->
00:08:33.440And of course, um a lot of the transplant recipients do send their letters to want to reach out to the donor family.
00:08:33.519 -->
00:08:36.720Sometimes they want to reach out and sometimes they don't, but it all depends.
00:08:36.799 -->
00:08:44.000But we've had a couple occasions where the donor family has met um their loved ones, kidney recipient or liver recipient.
00:08:44.320 -->
00:08:50.720So it's certain things like that, and that's the you know the beautiful thing about donation and life-saving mission.
00:08:51.039 -->
00:08:52.159Okay, all right.
00:08:52.399 -->
00:09:02.480So um with you coordinating events, so what type of events do do you all have when it comes to um organ donors?
00:09:02.799 -->
00:09:07.519Yes, so um we go, well, I go everywhere, I feel like, except for Aiken and Edgeville counties.
00:09:07.679 -->
00:09:12.960Um, for instance, um our headquarters is in Charleston, South Carolina, so that's where we are based.
00:09:13.200 -->
00:09:17.279But um we have an office in Columbia and also in Greenville, South Carolina.
00:09:17.440 -->
00:09:29.039Um, 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.
00:09:29.200 -->
00:09:34.080Um, and of course, it's back to school, which school has already started, but we still give back to the community.
00:09:34.399 -->
00:09:34.639Okay.
00:09:34.879 -->
00:09:38.559Um I'll be in Florence again at Hope Health doing their event.
00:09:38.639 -->
00:09:47.919So, 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.
00:09:48.159 -->
00:09:49.759So that education is important.
00:09:50.000 -->
00:09:51.440Yes, it is very much so, yes.
00:09:51.600 -->
00:09:54.879And I do um go to schools as well and talk to the students.
00:09:55.279 -->
00:09:55.600Oh, okay.
00:09:55.840 -->
00:10:10.159Yes, 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.
00:10:10.320 -->
00:10:10.639So yeah.
00:10:11.039 -->
00:10:14.159So I see on the website there's a volunteer component.
00:10:14.240 -->
00:10:14.960So what's that about?
00:10:15.200 -->
00:10:17.200Yeah, so Heroes for Hope is what it's called.
00:10:17.279 -->
00:10:18.159Heroes for Hope.
00:10:18.240 -->
00:10:20.879Um, and we have multiple um volunteers.
00:10:20.960 -->
00:10:24.159So we have donor families and we also have recipients.
00:10:24.320 -->
00:10:30.080And of course we have other community partners just understand the mission of who we are and what we do as a life saving mission.
00:10:30.240 -->
00:10:30.559So yeah.
00:10:31.120 -->
00:10:37.360So they can um so they go and inspire the community and and as well as help to educate.
00:10:37.679 -->
00:10:37.919Exactly.
00:10:38.080 -->
00:10:52.960Because 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.
00:10:53.440 -->
00:10:54.240Okay, all right.
00:10:54.399 -->
00:11:04.879So 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?
00:11:05.200 -->
00:11:07.440Yeah, um, they can um look at our website.
00:11:07.519 -->
00:11:16.000Uh we uh I can say sharinghope sc.org, or they can go to donatelife sc.org as well to learn more um about donation.
00:11:16.159 -->
00:11:27.279I 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.
00:11:27.840 -->
00:11:29.759So that's the biggest thing.
00:11:29.919 -->
00:11:32.559Um that's why I'm here just to educate and raising awareness.
00:11:32.879 -->
00:11:33.600Oh right.
00:11:33.840 -->
00:11:40.320Well, we are um thankful for that because like you said, education is vital.
00:11:40.559 -->
00:11:40.879Yes, man.
00:11:41.120 -->
00:11:42.639And this is something that we don't talk about.
00:11:43.120 -->
00:11:43.759We don't.
00:11:45.440 -->
00:11:46.879We really don't.
00:11:47.120 -->
00:11:55.039Uh, because uh when I found out that that's the the type of work you were in, I said, oh, okay, that's different.
00:11:55.279 -->
00:11:55.519Yes.
00:11:56.480 -->
00:12:00.399I've always been a part of the the nonprofit world, but also saving lives at the same time.
00:12:00.720 -->
00:12:00.960Of course.
00:12:01.519 -->
00:12:02.799Of course, of course.
00:12:02.960 -->
00:12:03.759Well, that's wonderful.
00:12:03.840 -->
00:12:04.639We're very proud of you.
00:12:04.879 -->
00:12:05.600Oh, thank you.
00:12:05.679 -->
00:12:06.240Thank you, thank you.
00:12:06.399 -->
00:12:07.279Thank you for having me, Ken.
00:12:07.440 -->
00:12:07.840I appreciate it.
00:12:08.080 -->
00:12:09.840Oh, our pleasure, our pleasure.
00:12:10.080 -->
00:12:15.120And um, whenever you have an event in the area or anything that's going on, just come and let us know, okay?
00:12:15.360 -->
00:12:16.480I will definitely do that, yes.
00:12:16.879 -->
00:12:17.759I sure will.
00:12:18.159 -->
00:12:19.279Okay, all right.
00:12:19.440 -->
00:12:20.879Well, thanks, Chastity, for coming.
00:12:21.440 -->
00:12:22.159Thank you for having me.
00:12:22.720 -->
00:12:23.519Our pleasure.
00:12:23.759 -->
00:12:24.960All right, everyone.
00:12:25.120 -->
00:12:31.200We thank you ever so much for watching uh Native Drums here at Savannah Grove Baptist Church.
00:12:31.440 -->
00:12:36.639So um make sure you tune in each Sunday, 6 o'clock p.m.
00:12:37.039 -->
00:12:38.399for Native Drums.
00:12:38.559 -->
00:12:39.679Thank you so much for watching.
00:12:39.759 -->
00:12:42.080I'm Jocelia Williams, your host.
