Donor Family Resources

Donor Family Resources

How We Support Donor Families

When families make the decision to donate a loved one’s organs, eyes and/or tissues, they offer precious gifts that will save or improve the lives of others. Midwest Transplant Network is honored to assist families during what often is a difficult time.

We offer extended emotional support and education to all families of organ, eye and tissue donors. We proudly host donor family memorial services in the Kansas City area and in Wichita, Columbia and Joplin. We also help facilitate communication with transplant recipients.

Your experience as a donor family member is important to us, and we promise to be here for you.

Receive Emotional Support from Our Partner, Taylor’s Gift Foundation

Midwest Transplant Network has partnered with Taylor’s Gift Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families of organ, eye and tissue donors, to offer a grief support program designed specifically for donor families. 

Donor families receive personal access to support groups and Caring Guides — individuals specifically trained to help them navigate through their grief journey. The support groups are offered virtually for individuals and families. These services are available at no charge.

Watch Ryan, a donor family member, share why he wishes this grief support program would have existed when he lost his sister years ago.

Donor Stories

The gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation has a lasting impact on recipients, recipient families, donors and donor families. Hear inspirational, real-life stories from donor families whose loved ones impacted the lives of transplant recipients through the generous gift of donation.

View some of the stories below

Read about other donor families and the impact their loved ones made, or tell us about your own personal experience with organ donation.

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Donor Family
Newsletter

Our quarterly donor family newsletter, Serenity, features inspirational stories of organ, eye and tissue donors, as well as resources for donor families.

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Donor
Memorial Quilts

We proudly work with donor families to create quilts in honor of loved ones who have given the gift of life through organ donation.

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Donor Family
Survey

Your experience as a donor family member is important to us. We value your feedback and continually seek to improve our services.

Types of Donation

Facts About Donation

Why Donate?

Discover MTN’s state-of-the-art Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit, where staff members are specially trained to provide expert care for donor heroes.

Joe Hecht, donor hero, wearing a white button-down shirt with a grey and maroon tie.

MTN Donor Hero to be Honored on OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade Float, Jan. 1

Donor hero Joe Hecht will be featured as MTN's honoree on the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade float.
Read More
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Laboratory Sets Milestone Amid Pandemic

In our recent blog post, we talked to Midwest Transplant Network’s Laboratory Director, Scott McDonald, about our histocompatibility lab that performs tests in support of organ, eye and tissue donation…