Writing to a Donor’s Family

HonorBridge can help facilitate communication between a recipient and the family of an organ donor, when the family is ready.

If you received a transplant and would like to send a letter to the family of the organ donor, HonorBridge can help. Sending a letter of thanks can mean so much to a donor family. Your letter will come to us at HonorBridge, and we will hold it until the donor family gives their consent to receive it.

Your first letter should not include personal contact information.

For your safety, we ask that your letter include your first name only. Please don’t include your address or other contact information. We will scan your letter to make sure you haven’t shared any personally identifying information. You may decide later on to exchange personal contact information with your donor’s family, or even meet in person. For the initial letter, though, we encourage you to keep it general. Contact us if you have questions about this.

The decision to write a letter is a personal one.

For some recipients, reaching out to the family of the donor who touched their lives can be incredibly healing and meaningful. Some recipients want to write a letter soon after their transplant; others wait for many years before they write. There is no right or wrong way to do it, and you can send a letter to your donor family whenever you wish. You can send a card, write a letter, or share a photo. See our guide in English and in Spanish.

You may or may not hear back.

Every donor’s family will grieve the loss of their loved one differently. Some donor families say that hearing from the recipients of their loved one’s gifts can be healing and comforting. Others, however, prefer privacy and choose not to communicate with – or receive communication from – recipients. Regardless, you may find that writing to express your gratitude and share your story is an important personal exercise on your own road to healing.

You can handwrite your letter or card, or you can submit a letter online.

If you’d like to submit your letter online, you can use the form below. Once you submit your letter, you’ll get an email confirmation that we’ve received it. If you’d like to mail a handwritten or typed letter, please see the instructions below.