Gift of Thanks

LifeLink invites organ transplant recipients in Georgia to send a holiday card (pictured below) with a personal message to their organ donor’s family this holiday season.

We know it can be hard to find the words to say “thank you” for the gift of life. Often, organ transplant recipients hesitate to reach out to their donor’s family because they worry “thank you” isn’t enough, or they start a letter, throw it away only to start it again, but never send it. Be assured, for a donor’s family, there is great joy in receiving any message from a transplant recipient who is alive today thanks to the gift of life their loved one gave. Just the two words “thank you” speak volumes.

Because the card has an appropriate pre-printed message inside, your personal message can be a few sentences, a few words, or even just your first name and the organ transplant you received.

There are two options to choose from:

What Should I Include?

• Identify yourself only by your first name and the organ transplant you received.
• Do not include identifying information such as your last name, the city you live in, the transplant center where you were transplanted or your place of work. Any identifying information will be redacted before your message is sent on to your donor’s family.
• Include your hobbies or interests and family situation, for like if you have a spouse, children or grandchildren.
• Remember that your donor family may have different religious beliefs than your own, and keep that in mind when making religious comments or references.

How Will My Message Reach My Donor’s Family?

• When you write your message, you will also provide your personal information either on a provided form or online, below. This information will NOT be sent on to your donor’s family but will be used to identify your donor’s family and forward on your message.
• If LifeLink facilitated donation for your donor, LifeLink will identify your donor’s family, review your message and redact any identifying information and then send your message directly to your donor’s family. If your organ donor became a donor in another organ recovery organization’s service area, LifeLink will send your message to that organ recovery organization.
• We will make every effort to facilitate delivery of all messages during the holiday season.

• You may or may not hear from your donor family. Many donor families have said writing about their loved one and decision to donate helps them in their grieving process. Others, though comfortable with their loved one’s donation and appreciative of your message, prefer privacy and choose not to write to the transplant recipients.