Communicate with Donor Families

At Midwest Transplant Network (MTN), we support written correspondence between transplant recipients and the family members of organ, eye, and tissue donors.

Many transplant recipients choose to write to their donor families to express their gratitude. The decision to write to your donor family is very personal. It is not always easy to express how you feel, or find the right words to say, “thank you.”

If you wish to write a letter to the family of your donor, here are some suggestions of things you may choose to include in your communication, as well as important information about the mailing process.

Your job or occupation, hobbies or interests

You may share your family situation, such as marital status, children or grandchildren

You may include photos of you or your family

Describe how long you waited for a transplant

Explain how the transplant has improved your health and changed your life

Explain what has happened in your life since the transplant

Thank your donor family for their generosity

Contact information, such as phone number, email address or social media profiles may be included if you would like the donor family to be able to contact you directly.

Things to Consider Before Writing

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 donor family may choose to do with that information. By including your contact or identifying information, you understand that it will be forwarded to your donor family, 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 donor families 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.

Sending Your Card or Letter

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

Your full name

Your date of transplant (month, date, and year)

Name of your transplant center

Place these items inside another envelope and give them to your transplant coordinator or 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, date of transplant and name of your transplant center in the email.

Please contact your transplant coordinator for questions about how your transplant center facilitates delivery of letters. Please allow a few weeks for your letter to reach the donor family. Once MTN receives your letter, our Donor Family Services Coordinators will forward it to your donor’s family.

Will I hear from my donor family?

You may or may not receive a response from your donor family. While most find it healing to hear a recipient’s story, some families prefer privacy and choose not to communicate with the recipient(s) of their loved one’s donation. It is possible they may never respond. If we receive a response for you, we will forward it to your transplant center, and they will deliver it to you. For more questions about this process, please speak with your transplant coordinator.

Will I be able to communicate directly with or meet my donor family?

The decision to communicate directly with or meet your donor family is a deeply personal decision and both you and the donor family must mutually agree to this. The first step is to write to your donor family or respond to their letter if they have written to you. If you choose to include contact information, the donor family may reach out to you directly. Should you and your donor family 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 your donor family 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 more information about communicating with donor families, please contact us here.

For a printable version of these instructions, Writing to Donor Families.

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