Dear Recipient,
I remember the first time I thought of you; I was treating a patient in the hospital who had just had back surgery. One of their family members asked about the specifics of the surgery, and the patient described how they had received donated bone to fuse the bones in their back and reduce their debilitating back pain.
For the first time, I thought about how Pete’s tissue donation had done what he had set out to do his whole life, bring healing. You see, Pete and I were both Physical Therapists. We studied for a long time and worked to help our patients find healing. And now, here you were, right in front of me, talking about how a gift of donated bone had brought you just that, decreased your pain and improved your quality of life.
I hope you are living your life fully and without pain, and that you appreciate the gift that was given. The decision to donate was not a hard one for me because we too were waiting for an organ donation. Pete needed a new set of lungs, but unfortunately, he did not receive them in time.
While on the waiting list Pete had become very passionate about organ donation and put all his effort into advocating for everyone who was waiting, not just for himself. He wanted to take his burden and turn it into something good.
So to you, the recipient, please continue to pass on the good that my husband, and the kids’ father, so passionately wanted. Please live each day to the fullest to honor the gift that was lovingly shared.
Pass it on,
Eileen
