Boy who got new heart inspires tribe to boost organ donation | News

Greyson Parisien’s time on earth was short. But the boy with the dark-rimmed glasses who was enchanted by the music from “Frozen,” the sound of torn paper and his father playing the guitar is having a huge impact on his tribal community in the far reaches of North Dakota.

His journey to correct a heart defect led the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians to add an organ donation box to tribal IDs, which was unveiled during a ceremony in November.

The organ donation rate among Native Americans is much lower than that of other ethnic groups. For some tribes, cultural beliefs are a factor. In rural communities, time, distance, and patchy Internet access can make the process difficult.

“You don’t think about the donation and how many people don’t donate,” said Greyson’s grandmother, Joan Azure. “I was thinking, ‘There have 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.”

Less than 1% of the 100,000 people nationwide waiting for organ transplants are Native Americans, who make up nearly 3% of the US population.

The numbers are higher in some states, including New Mexico, where 1 in 5 people on the waiting list is Native American. In South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota, nearly 5% of patients waiting for organ donation are Native American.

Greyson had surgery at 5 months to correct a heart defect, then needed an external device to pump blood through her little…