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.

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.

What to include in your letter.

When writing your letter, we encourage you to keep your message general and share at your own comfort level. You may wish to talk about your transplant experience, your interests, hobbies, or family – whatever feels right to you. Until both parties express interest in continued correspondence, we recommend against any identifying details such as last names, transplant hospital, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, or social media accounts. Please also note that some organ procurement organizations and transplant centers have policies that restrict the exchange of identifying information unless written consent forms are completed, so this type of information may be redacted. 

The letter exchange process can take time.

Getting your letter to the right place and waiting for a response can take several weeks, or even months. Sometimes donor families will need some time to compose their response to you if they are ready to connect. Even if you never hear from them, writing a letter can be a joyful and healing experience for you.