Communicate with Donor

in

Midwest Transplant Network has established guidelines for facilitating communication between donor families and transplant recipients. The decision to write to your donor family is a very personal one. Often transplant recipients choose to write to donor families to express their gratitude. In response, many donor families have said a card or letter of thanks from a recipient offers a great deal of comfort and helps them in their grief journey.  It is your choice whether or not you decide to write to your donor family.

Midwest Transplant Network facilitates written correspondence between recipients and donor families. All correspondence is completely anonymous and identities are kept confidential. If you would like to send a card or write a note of thanks to your donor family here is some information that may be helpful.

YOU MAY PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Your first name only
  • The region in which you live (Midwest, South, etc.)
  • Your job or occupation
  • Your hobbies or interests
  • Your family situation such as marital status, children, grandchildren (Do not include last names.)
  • Since the religion of your donor is unknown, please consider this if you include religious comments.

TALK ABOUT YOUR TRANSPLANT EXPERIENCE

  • Use simple language
  • Recognize your donor and his/her family and thank them.
  • Describe how long you waited for your transplant
  • Explain how the gift you were given improved your health and changed your life.
  • Explain what has happened in your life since your transplant.

CLOSING YOUR CARD OR LETTER

  • Sign your first name only
  • Do not reveal your address, city, phone number or email address.
  • Do not reveal the name of your transplant hospital or physician.

SENDING YOUR CARD OR LETTER

  • PLACE IT IN AN USEALED ENVELOPE
  • INCLUDE IN THE ENVELOPE ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER:
  • Your full name
  • Your date of transplant
  • PLACE THESE ITEMS IN ANOTHER ENVELOPE AND GIVE TO YOUR TRANSPLANT COORDINATOR OR MAIL TO:
    Midwest Transplant Network
    Donor Family Services
    1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400
    Westwood, KS 66205

 

QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE

WILL I HEAR FROM MY DONOR FAMILY?

You may or may not receive a response from them. Many donor families have said that writing about their loved one and their decision to donate helps them in their grieving process. Other families, even though they are comfortable with their decision to donate, prefer privacy and choose not to write to the recipients. For some the time may not be right at this point to communicate but at some time in the future they may decide to do so.

WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH OR MEET MY DONOR FAMILY?

Midwest Transplant Network will facilitate a recipient's request to exchange contact information with their donor family when the following conditions have been met:

  1. It is at least one year post-donation
  2. Each party has written to the other at least one time anonymously
  3. Both parties have expressed a desire to have non-anonymous communication
  4. Both parties have the designated release form signed, notarized and returned to Midwest Transplant Network

Please consult your transplant coordinator for further details on how your transplant center facilitates such requests.

Remember the donor’s family may still be coping with the loss of their loved one and individuals manage grief in different ways. While you may be celebrating the anniversary of receiving your transplant it is also the anniversary of someone else’s loss. Please communicate in a sensitive manner.

ALLOW EXTRA MAILING TIME

Since your card or letter may go to your transplant center first and then forwarded to MTN, please allow extra time for it to reach your donor family. MTN’s Donor Family Services Coordinator will review your card or letter first to ensure confidentiality and will then forward it to your donor’s family. Please allow extra time for your letter to reach the family. It may take a few weeks after you mail it for the donor family to receive it. If you need further information about writing to your donor family please consult your transplant coordinator or call Midwest Transplant Network at (913) 262-1668.

Midwest Transplant Network
1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400
Westwood, KS 66205

Adapted by Midwest Transplant Network, Inc. Westwood, KS with permission from LifeSource of Minneapolis, MN. All rights reserved.