As our country celebrates Black History Month, now is an excellent time to reflect on all the contributions and medical advancements made by African-American physicians, nurses and other medical professionals. These individuals have profoundly impacted not only their fields, but our society as a whole.

There are currently more than 123,000 people in the U.S. that are waiting for an organ transplant. Every 12 minutes, another person is added to the national organ donor waiting list. These people are in desperate need of an organ or tissue transplant, however the sad truth is that more than 6,500 people, about 21 a day, will die before an organ or tissue becomes available. In honor of National Organ Donor Day, we wanted to inform everyone of the importance of organ donation.