UNOS

United Network
for Organ Sharing

OPTN

Organ Procurement and
Transplantation Network

TRANSPLANT LIVING

Information and Resources
for Transplant Patients

LIFECENTER NW

Living Donor Registry

If you would like to view sample letters, please click here.

Sharing your experience:

Correspondence between Transplant Recipients & Donor Families

Sometimes donor families and transplant recipients choose to write to one another to share information about themselves and/or their loved one. For some, this sharing helps the grieving process or provides the opportunity to thank a donor family for their loved one's gift of life. It is a very personal choice whether or not you decide to write - not everyone does.

Will the transplant recipient(s) or donor family member(s) write back?

You may or may not receive a response to your correspondence. Many transplant recipients and donor family members have said they are overwhelmed with emotion at this time in life. Both families are experiencing heightened emotions of grief or gratitude that are often very difficult to express through written communication. Some transplant recipients or donor family members may take several months or even years before they feel comfortable writing.

What to include in your written communication:

  • Your first name only.
  • Your job or occupation.
  • The state (not city) in which you live.
  • Your family situation, such as marital status, children/grandchildren or hobbies.
  • Any personal information you choose to include about how the donation/transplantation experience has impacted your life.
  • Since the religion or beliefs of the recipient/donor family unknown, please consider this if you are including religious comments.

You may wish to include the following information:

  • Describe how long you waited for a transplant. (What was the wait like for you and your family?)
  • Explain how the transplant has improved your health and changed your life. (Can you participate in activities now that you couldn't before your transplant?)
  • Explain what has happened in your life since your transplant. (Did you celebrate another birthday? Did you take a vacation or accomplish a lifelong dream?)
  • Tell the donor family about your hobbies and interests.
  • Recognize the donor family and thank them for their gift.

Closing your correspondence:

  • Sign your first name only.
  • Do not reveal your address, phone number or email address.

Mailing your correspondence:

  • Place the correspondence in an unsealed envelope
  • On a separate piece of paper include the following information so we know how to forward your correspondence:

    If you are a transplant recipient: your full name and date of transplant.

    If you are a donor family member: your full name, your loved one's full name and date of donation.

  • Mail your card or letter to the Living Legacy Foundation (address can be found below).
MAILING ADDRESS: Living Legacy Foundation

Living Legacy Foundation
11245 SE 6th St.
Ste 100
Bellevue, WA 98004

  • If you are a recipient writing to your donor family, the Living Legacy Foundation's Family Services staff will review your card or letter to ensure confidentiality, then contact the donor family to let them know you've written a letter and see if they're ready to receive it. Some donor families prefer to wait a while and some choose not to accept correspondence. Most often they are very grateful to receive a letter of thanks from recipients.

  • If you are a donor family member writing to your loved one's recipients, your correspondence will be forwarded to the social worker at each recipient's transplant center and they will then facilitate transferring your correspondence to the recipient.

Since all correspondence MUST be mailed to the Living Legacy Foundation first, then forwarded, please allow enough time for your correspondence to travel through all channels.

The Living Legacy Foundation, in collaboration with all transplant programs, supports written communication between recipients and donor families. All correspondence is anonymous and identities are kept confidential.

Some donor families and transplant recipients are interested in direct contact, and we are open to facilitating that after some anonymous correspondence has occurred and if both sides are willing to sign an authorization for disclosure of information.

If you need further information about writing to transplant recipients or donor families, please contact a member of our Family Services team at l.877.275.5269 toll-free or visit our website at http://www.donatelifetoday.com/content/about-living-legacy