A guide to letter writing
Contact between transplant recipients and donor family members is highly encouraged, at any time after the donation. Some donor families choose to write right away, some prefer to wait for a period of time. Gift of Life understands that the decision to contact your loved one's recipients is a very personal one, and can be difficult for many people. Most recipients appreciate hearing from their donor's family as sometimes it may be difficult for them to find the words to say "Thank you" which often times just doesn't seem like enough.
Here are some guidelines for writing to your loved one's recipients:
- If you aren't sure what to say, sending a simple "thinking of you" card is fine.
- Do not include any identifying information - such as your last name, city of residence,
name of the hospital where your loved one donated or your employer.
- Be cautious about religious references - not everyone believes the same way, or in
the same things.
- Share general information about you & your loved one's life, occupation,
hobbies, family, friends & interests.
- Ask them about their health.
- Share the story of your loved one.
On a SEPARATE piece of paper, list your full name, your loved one's name, address, date of donation, and phone number. This will enable Gift of Life staff to look up the proper chart and forward the correspondence on to your loved one's recipients.
Due to patient confidentiality rules, any identifying information included in the letter/card will be blocked out prior to be forwarded on to the recipients. If you wish to correspond with your recipients directly, both the recipient and the donor family must complete an "Authorization for Release of Information" form. You can ask for this form to be sent to you by including a note with your correspondence, calling 800-482-4881 or emailing us at info@giftoflifemichigan.org.
