Connecting with your loved one’s recipients
During the donation process, the names of donors and recipients are kept confidential in accordance with federal privacy laws. But Lifesharing can facilitate written communications between donor families and organ recipients – all correspondence is anonymous at first, until families decide they wish to share names and contact information. When requested, Lifesharing can facilitate face-to-face meetings at our offices in San Diego.
What to write
When writing a letter, we always tell families to speak from the heart. Naturally, most family members choose to write about their loved ones. Some ideas on what you can include are:
- Information about yourself such as your first name and relationship to your loved one
- Special memories with your loved one
- Information about your loved one’s family
- Your loved one’s hobbies and passions
- How donating organs helped in your grief journey
- Questions you have for the recipient
- Photos of yourself with your loved one and/or your loved one’s family
“Love binds us together through organ donation.”
Dr. Lesley Nurse, mother of organ donor Peyton NurseThe Nurse family is pictured here with the family of their son’s heart recipient, Harley Duffer.
Sending your letter
There are three options for sending a letter to your loved one’s recipient(s)
Send by mail
If you are sending a physical letter, place it in an envelope with a separate sheet of paper that includes your name, loved one’s name, and date of donation. Letters should be mailed to Lifesharing at:
Lifesharing
Attn: Family Services
7436 Mission Valley Rd
San Diego, CA 92108
Email to us
Letters may also be sent by email. Please include your name as well as your loved one’s name and approximate date of donation.
Submit electronically
A third option is to follow the link below and submit your letter electronically using the form below.
Tissue donor families
Because of HIPAA laws, Lifesharing unfortunately does not have direct access to tissue recipient contact information and is unable to forward letters initiated by donor families. However, we regularly receive letters from tissue recipients forwarded from our tissue partners. If we receive a letter from a recipient of your loved one’s gifts, we will contact the legal next-of-kin/authorizing party to confirm the address is correct before sending.
