1
Start Your Letter
- Use the type of transplant in your greeting (Dear Heart Recipient, Dear Cornea Recipient)
2
Introduce Yourself
- Your connection to the donor (John’s wife, Jane’s sister)
- Your occupation
- Your family (spouse, children, grandchildren)
- Your interests and/or hobbies
- The state where you live
3
Write About Your Loved One
- What kind of person they were
- Their family (if not written already)
- Their job
- Their interests and/or hobbies
- Special memories of them
**Since the religion and culture of the recipient is unknown, please consider this as you write your letter.
4
Share How Your Loved One’s Donation Impacted You
- Has it helped you heal?
- Has it given you peace knowing their legacy lives on?
5
Close Your Letter
- Sign your first name only
- Do not reveal your last name, address, city, phone number, e-mail address, or the hospital where your loved one died
6
Send Your Letter
- Print and fill out this Donor Information Sheet
- Mail your letter and the Donor Information Sheet to:
LifeShare Carolinas
3621 Randolph Road, Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28211
LifeShare will mail your letter to the transplant center, and they will send it to the recipient.
Remember, what you say isn't as important as who the letter is from.
After You Send Your Letter
You may or may not hear from your loved one’s recipients. Many transplant recipients feel compelled to write letters of thanks. Others may not write for many personal reasons. Just as some donor families prefer to remain private, so do some transplant recipients.
The option for donor families and recipients to communicate directly should be a shared decision. Once both parties (donor family and recipient) have written and received at least one letter each, LifeShare will begin the process for open communication if appropriate.
BRIDGE TO HEALING
Contact us
Our Bridge to Healing team is available to support our donor families.
You can reach us anytime using the button on the left. If your contact information has changed, use the button on the right to update us.
You can also call us at 704-473-3684.