Network for Hope supports written correspondence between recipients and donor families. Donor families and recipients have found that communicating can be healing and comforting. A thank you letter or a greeting card from a recipient may bring comfort to a donor family.
The decision to send correspondence is a very personal one, and there is no timeline. If you would like to write to your donor’s family, we encourage you to do so.
You may provide general, non-identifiable information, including:
Please note: Since the religion of your donor’s family is unknown, please consider this when making religious comments.
Mail your letter to your transplant center coordinator or social worker:
When mailing your correspondence, please include the following information on a separate piece of paper, to assist with identifying your donor’s family:
The transplant center staff will review your correspondence and will then begin the process of forwarding it. Since your correspondence must be mailed to the transplant center first and then forwarded, please keep in mind it may take extra time for your letter to reach your donor’s family. It may take several weeks after you’ve mailed it for your donor’s family to receive it.
It is important to understand that you may or may not receive a response. Many donor families have said that they are overwhelmed with emotion and have difficulty expressing their feelings. Others may take several months or even years before they feel comfortable writing to their loved one’s recipients.
Thank you for your RSVP! You will receive an email from the Family Aftercare Team within a week with additional details about the event at your chosen location.
