Mary Meaux/ Dallas Morning News

To Kendra Francis, dialysis was a normal part of life.

For two years and three months the tiny-framed Francis underwent dialysis, a necessary form of treatment for people in the end stages of renal disease.

Francis was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 11, a disease that eventually caused her kidneys to fail and her to ultimately seek a transplant.

Daily injections of insulin, blood sugar level checks and a special diet helped the youngster stay healthy for the next 13 years.

Then, in 200,1 her feet and legs began to swell. The swelling was so bad she could only wear sandals and flip-flops. Her blood pressure soared. A college student at the time, Francis spent all of spring break in the hospital.

By March 2002, the 1998 Lincoln High School graduate was undergoing dialysis treatments Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons after her classes at Lamar University. Later her dialysis was changed to began at 5 a.m.

"That was good. That way I had the rest of the day to myself," Francis said recently from her immaculate Port Arthur apartment. "After being on dialysis for so long, it becomes part of your life, like getting up, washing your face and brushing your teeth."

While undergoing treatments, Francis had to alter her diet considerably.

"The kidneys act as filters," she begins. "So I wasn't allowed dark colored sodas and no potassium. I used to love to eat bananas but I couldn't. I haven't ate a banana in more than two years. Now, I think I've lost my taste for them. Also, I had to watch for tomato and tomato products and take a calcium binder so my bones wouldn't get too thin."

The young woman had to monitor her fluid intake as well.

"Six cups of liquid a day," she said," That included water, Jell-O, gravy, ice cream."

Francis eventually was placed on a transplant waiting list. The call that changed her life came at 5:30 a.m. one May morning. By 10:30 p.m. that night she was in surgery for a kidney and pancreas transplant. All together she spent about a month in the hospital. She has been home since June 30.

The small sized woman slowly lifts her shirt enough to show a large "J" shaped incision. Several other scars to her right side are from her dialysis.

"I feel like I have a new life," she said as her eyes began to tear up.

Francis' story is not just a story of one woman's new lease on life and the tough road she has traveled. Her story is a story to bring about awareness and possibly change lives.

August 1st is the eighth anniversary of National Minority Donor Awareness Day -- a time set aside to educate people about the importance of organ and tissue donation.

Pam Silvestri, Community Education Director for Southwest Transplant Alliance, said in 2003, organ donation in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area saw a 50 percent increase.

Locally, 71.43 percent of Caucasian families consented to donation and 60 percent of African American families consented to donation.

"A key message to get across on Minority Donor Day is this -- it is no longer true that minorities don't donate. That may have been true years ago, but these days, thanks to better community education programs and better knowledge of how to support families, consent rates among minorities are much higher than they used to be," Silvestri said.

"Before this, I had never thought of donating organs," Francis said.

She said it seems selfish not donate organs to help others, to bury a cadaver without thinking of donating the organs.

Today, Francis is a healthy young woman. She eats what she wants and is no longer insulin dependent. Though weak, the Port Arthur resident paces herself -- she recently baked a German chocolate cake but it took all day to make the cake because she had to rest frequently between the required tasks.

But now she's able to have her cake and eat it too.

The future for Francis looks bright. With a bachelor of business degree under her belt, Francis will one day be able to begin a career when her health allows.

Organ donation

What is National Minority Donor Awareness Day and why is it important?

National Minority Donor Awareness Day is a time set aside to highlight the importance of organ and tissue donation. It's always on August 1st of each year. Its goal is to inspire people from all racial and ethnic groups to become donors. This year, National Minority Donor Awareness Day is celebrating its 8th anniversary. It's important because it provides another opportunity to reach African Americans with information about organ and tissue donation.

Why is it important for the black community to become donors?

The black community is in desperate need for black organ and tissue donors. We are facing a public health crisis. Over the past decade, there has been a 166 percent increase in the number of blacks waiting for organ transplants. While blacks comprise 26 percent of individuals on the national transplant waiting list, they represent only 13 percent of organ donors. (In Texas blacks comprise 27 percent of those needing a transplant, and just 11 percent of organ donors) Statistically, blacks have the best chance of being matched for a kidney transplant if the donor is also black. Tragically, every 13 minutes another name is added to the waiting list and 17 people die each day due to lack of organs.

What prevents some members of the black community from becoming organ donors?

Blacks do not have organ and tissue donation on their "radar" screen-it's simply not top of mind. They are not aware of the large number of blacks who are waiting for transplants. There is a perception that blacks do not have the same access to organ transplants as whites. The government pays for kidney transplants. Some are afraid that they will not receive the best medical treatment in a life-threatening emergency if they were a known "organ donor." They are reluctant to sign any formal documents that commit them to this decision. Just tell family members what you want to do to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Does the black church support organ and tissue donation?

Most religions support organ and tissue donation and see it as the final act of love and generosity towards others.

Is there a need for any particular organ among the black community?

Yes. Kidneys are at the top of the list. While 13 percent of the U.S. population is black, 35 percent of those waiting for a kidney transplant are black. Currently, more than 23,000 blacks are waiting for kidney transplants. For these patients, the lack of available organs means longer waiting periods on transplant lists, years spent on dialysis, and sometimes death.

Why is the need for kidneys so high among blacks?

Black Americans are disproportionately affected by illnesses that can lead to end-stage renal disease and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant. These diseases include high blood pressure and diabetes. How much does it cost to be a donor? There is no cost to the donor's family or estate.