Can Donor Family Members and Transplant Recipients Write to each other?
It is common for a member of a Donor’s Family to want to write to the Donor’s transplant recipients to tell them about their Loved One.Some write with the hope that the recipient will reply and let them know how they are doing.
It is also common for Transplant Recipients to want to write to their Donor Families.Most of these letters are to say Thank You for their wonderfully unselfish gift. Almost all recipients want to know more about the person whose donated organ is now keeping them alive.With very few exceptions, those recipients that do write have said that this is the most difficult letter they have ever written; thank you can seem like such small words to those who have been given the “Gift of Life”. Do they want me to write? Both Donors Families and recipients want to know more about each other, but the irony is that often, neither writes for fear of intruding.Our recommendation is that if you want to write…write! The most difficult part about writing these letters is always the first couple of words! If you want to write but are having trouble getting started, please, feel free to contact us.We are always here to help! The privacy of both Donors and recipients is strongly guarded.All initial correspondence is anonymous.Identities are not disclosed until both the Donor Family and the recipient agree to release their personal information and are willing to accept direct correspondence from one another. Will they write back? Some, All, or None of the recipients may write back.All recipients are grateful for the Gift they have received, however, some recipients feel guilty that they survive while their Donor does not.Others fear that a letter from them will cause the Donor Family to relive painful memories. Donor Families each mourn in their own way and time.Often, the circumstances surrounding a Donors death were tragic.This can add to the time a family needs to grieve the loss of a loved one. It is not uncommon for a recipient or Donor Family to take a couple of years to either write a letter or reply to correspondence.