A Way to Say "Thank You"

For many, writing a letter to your donor's family is a helpful way to deal with the wide range of emotions experienced after receiving a transplant.

Infinite Legacy facilitates all correspondence between donor families and recipients and our Aftercare Team Members are always available to assist you with the writing process. We can answer questions, discuss your feelings about taking this step, and help you write your card or letter. If you have questions or concerns, please call us at 443-833-1147 or email at aftercare@infinitelegacy.org. 

To send your letter: To submit your letter online: 
  1. Place your card/letter in a blank, unsealed envelope.
  2. On a separate piece of paper, write your full name, the date you received the transplant, transplant center and your contact information.
  3. Place the first envelope and the piece of paper in a sealed envelope and mail your letter to:

    Infinite Legacy
    1730 Twin Springs Road Ste 200
    Baltimore, MD 21227

    3190 Fairview Park Drive Ste 700
    Falls Church, VA 22042
  1. Please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

 

Tips On Writing Your Letter

 

  • Recipients may choose to write to their donor family to tell a little about themselves and the impact donation has had on their lives and the lives of their families. Donor families often welcome and appreciate these details.
  • We recommend you do not disclose any identifying or direct contact information until you get a feel for your donor's family and how you feel about corresponding with them. While Infinite Legacy does not restrict this information, we do want to make sure you have considered all of the potential outcomes of making such a disclosure.
  • Due to increasing use of social media sites and other online search capabilities, the range of information making you “identifiable” has greatly increased. If you disclose the same information that you have written on a social media page or blog, your recipient may be able to locate you online. 
  • Prior to sending your letter, Infinite Legacy works closely with other donor programs and transplant centers to ensure donor families are ready for this next step. If we receive feedback that the family is not ready to correspond, we will immediately contact you to let you know. Please be understanding of this decision, and know that we will do the same for you should you ever decide you are not ready for correspondence.
  • After your initial letter is written and forwarded to the donor's family, you may feel anxious about what happens next. Although many recipients do hear back from their donor's family, there is no guarantee you will receive a response. Should your donor's family choose not to write to you at this time, please do not take this inaction personally.

Some information you may want to include:

  • Explain how the transplant improved your health or changed your life.
  • Explain what things you are able to now enjoy that you would not have been able to without your transplant (jogging, spending time with grandchildren, new job, etc.).
  • Explain things you celebrated in a whole new light (wedding, birthday, graduation, birth).

When signing your card, consider whether you’d like to sign with just your first name, or if you’d like to include your full name. Some recipients prefer to use only their first name for their first time writing their donor family.

In order to correctly match your card to your donor family, we need your contact information to be completed in its entirety. This information is confidential and is only used by the aftercare coordinators to facilitate your correspondence.

Your message will be sent to our Aftercare Services team for review. From there, a Specialist will forward the message to your donor family.

Write to Your Donor Family Below

Personal information will remain confidential.