Midwest Transplant Network provides follow-up information to all families who consent to
donation after the death of their loved-one. This may include the clinical
condition of any organ recipients. Midwest Transplant Network has established
guidelines for facilitating communication between donor families and recipients.
The decision to write to transplant recipients is a very personal
one. Sometimes, donor families choose to write to transplant recipients and
their families to share information about themselves and their loved one. For
some donor families, this sharing with the transplant recipient helps them in
their grieving process. It is your choice whether or not you decide to write to
the transplant recipients. Midwest Transplant Network supports written
correspondence between transplant recipients and donor families. All
correspondence is completely anonymous and identities are kept confidential. If
you would like to write to the transplant recipients, here is some information
you may choose to include.
PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION
CLOSING YOUR CARD OR LETTER
MAILING YOUR CARD OR LETTER
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE
WILL I HEAR FROM THE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT?
WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO MEET OR COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT(S)?
ALLOW EXTRA MAILING TIME
PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION:
- Your loved one's first name only
- Your relationship to that person
- His or her job or occupation
- His or her hobbies or interest
- Your family situation such as marital status, children or grandchildren (Do not include last names)
- Since the religion of the transplant recipient and his or her family is unknown, please consider this if you are including religious comments
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
MAILING YOUR CARD OR LETTER:
1) Place it in an unsealed envelope
2) Include in the envelope on a separate piece of paper:
- Your full name
- Your loved one's full name
- Date of the donation
Mail it to the Midwest Transplant Network at the following address:
Midwest Transplant Network, Inc.
Donor Family Services
1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400
Westwood, KS 66205
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE
WILL I HEAR FROM THE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT?
You may or may not receive a response from them. Many transplant recipients have said that they are overwhelmed with emotion and have difficulty expressing their gratitude in words. Others may take several months or even years before they feel comfortable writing to their donor family. They, too, are in a unique grieving process.
WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO MEET OR COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT(S)?
Midwest Transplant Network will facilitate a donor family's request to receive unedited communication from their loved one's transplant recipient(s), when the following conditions have been met:
- It is at least one year post-donation
- Each party has written to the other at least one time anonymously
- Both parties have expressed a desire to have non-anonymous communication
- The donor family member has the designated release form signed and notarized, and has returned it to Midwest Transplant Network
ALLOW EXTRA MAILING TIME:
Midwest Transplant Network's Donor Family Services Coordinator will review your card or letter first to ensure confidentiality and will forward it to the clinical transplant coordinator at the transplant center. The transplant center will then send it to the recipient. Therefore, please allow extra time for your letter to reach the transplant recipient. It may take a few weeks after you've mailed it for the transplant recipient to receive it. If you need further information about writing to transplant recipients, please call the Midwest Transplant Network at (913) 262-1668. Midwest Transplant Network 1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400 Westwood, KS 66205
Adapted by Midwest Transplant Network, Inc. Westwood, KS with permission from LifeSource of Minneapolis, MN. All rights reserved.
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Donor family throwing out the first pitch and Royal's game in Kansas City
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