Communication with Transplant Recipients

Midwest Transplant Network (MTN)facilitates communication between donor families and their loved one’s recipients. The decision to write to your loved one’s recipients is a personal decision and completely your choice. 

If you wish to write a letter to a transplant recipient, here are some suggestions on what to include in your communication, as well as important information about the mailing process:

Examples of General Information to Include

Your loved one’s name

Their job or occupation

Their hobbies or interests

Your loved one’s family situation, such as marital status, children, or grandchildren

Photographs of your loved one or your family

Contact information, such as your phone number, email address or social media profiles may be included if you would like the recipient(s) to be able to contact you directly.

Things to Consider

Before you start your letter, think about how much personal information you wish to share about yourself. MTN allows donor families and recipients to make this decision on their own. Please keep in mind that anything you share cannot be taken back and we cannot control what the recipients choose to do with that information. By including your contact or identifying information, you understand that it will be forwarded to your loved one’s recipient, and they may contact you. MTN acknowledges there are occasions when contact is made between a donor family and recipient(s) without the direct involvement or knowledge of MTN. On these occasions, the parties are acting independently and MTN does not assume responsibility for outcomes or implications.

If you choose not to provide identifying or contact information, MTN will not share your personal information without your permission. MTN remains available to facilitate anonymous communication on your behalf.

Please understand that religious information or medical details can be sensitive to some people and use discretion if you include this information.

Though MTN supports open communication between donor families and recipients who choose to disclose contact information in their correspondence, some transplant centers and organ procurement organizations may limit what recipients can receive/share and may remove this information. In most cases, they will allow this information to be shared if there is a release of information form completed. We will work with these organizations to obtain the required documentation and will contact you if a release form is needed.

When your loved one has donated tissue, the letter writing process differs from that of organ transplant communications. MTN works with our tissue and eye transplant partners to facilitate the exchange of letters between donor families and recipients. While we make every effort to ensure as many recipients as possible receive these letters, please understand that unless a recipient initiates contact by writing first, we may not be able to reach every recipient.

Closing Your Card or Letter

Sign your first name only
Do not reveal your address, city or phone number
Do not reveal the name of the hospital or physician involved

Sending Your Card or Letter

When you are ready to send your card or letter, please place it in an unsealed envelope. Inside the envelope, on a separate piece of paper, include the following information:

Your full name

Your loved one’s name

Date of donation (month, date, and year)

Place these items inside another envelope and mail to:

Midwest Transplant Network, Inc.

Donor Family Services

1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 100

Westwood, KS 66205

If you prefer to email your letter, it can be sent to aftercare@mwtn.org. Please include your full name, your loved one’s full name and date of donation in the email.

Please allow a few weeks for your letter to reach the transplant recipient. Our Donor Family Services Coordinators will forward your letter to the recipient’s transplant center, who will then send the letter to the transplant recipient.

Place these items inside another envelope and mail to:

Midwest Transplant Network, Inc.

Donor Family Services

1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 100

Westwood, KS 66205

Please allow a few weeks for your letter to reach the transplant recipient. Our Donor Family Services Coordinator will review your card or letter to ensure confidentiality and forward it to the appropriate clinical transplant coordinator, who will then send it to the transplant recipient.

Will I hear from my loved one’s transplant recipient?

Your loved one’s transplant recipient may or may not respond. Many transplant recipients have said they feel overwhelmed with emotion and have difficulty expressing their gratitude. It is possible they may not reply to you. If we receive a response to your letter, we will send it to the address we have on record for you. If you need to update your address, please click here.

Will I be able to meet or communicate directly with my loved one’s recipient(s)?

The decision to communicate directly with or meet your loved one’s recipient(s) is a deeply personal decision and both the donor family and recipient(s) must mutually agree to this. The first step is to write to your loved one’s recipient(s) or respond to their letter if they have written to you. If you choose to include contact information, the recipient may reach out to you directly. Should you and the recipient(s) decide to meet in person, coordination of this meeting will be arranged between both parties. Midwest Transplant Network is pleased to offer use of our facility as a safe and neutral location for your meeting at no cost. Please note that any travel, lodging or other expenses related to meeting with recipients will be the responsibility of each party. Midwest Transplant Network will not cover or reimburse these expenses. If you wish to use our facility as a meeting location, please contact us here.

For questions or information about communicating with transplant recipients, please contact us here. For a printable version of these instructions, Writing to Transplant Recipients.

1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400
Westwood, KS 66205
913-262-1668