Boy who got new heart inspires tribe to boost organ donation
A boy from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians has inspired his community to try to boost organ donor numbers
Greyson Parisien’s time on earth was short. But the boy with dark-rimmed eyeglasses who was enchanted by the music in “Frozen,” the sound of ripping paper and his dad playing the guitar is having an outsized impact on his tribal community in the far reaches of North Dakota.
His journey to correct an irregular heart led the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians to add an organ donation box to tribal IDs, which it unveiled during a November ceremony.
The rate of organ donations among Native Americans is much lower than other ethnic groups. For some tribes, cultural beliefs are a factor. In rural communities, time, distance and spotty internet access can hinder the process.
“You don’t think about donation and how many people are not donors,” said Greyson’s grandmother, Joan Azure. “I was thinking, ‘There has to be more donors.’ When you’re going through this personally, you don’t want someone to die but you also want your child to live.”
