Write to Your Donor Family
A Guide for Transplant Recipients
The decision to write to your donor’s family is a personal one. Some recipients choose to write to their donor’s family and some do not.
It may help to know donor family members consistently express appreciation for the letters or cards they receive from transplant recipients. Your letter can help families find closure, and they often find great comfort in knowing a little about the person their loved one was able to help.
If you decide to write, follow these suggestions:
- Write about yourself. You may want to include your name (first name only) and information about your job, your family and friends, your hobbies, interests, and the state or country where you live.
- Write about your personal cornea transplant experience. You may want to include information about your disease or injury and how your transplant has positively affected your life.
- You may wish to thank your donor family.
- Keep identities anonymous and confidential. Avoid including any last names, street addresses, city names, phone numbers, or names of hospitals or physicians. On occasion, donor families and transplant recipients may wish to reveal identities to each other. Both must agree to this before any personal information will be released by RMLEB.
- RMLEB will have your letter professionally translated at no cost, if necessary.
After you complete your letter or card:
- Place the letter or card in an unsealed envelope.
- Include a separate sheet of paper with your full name, date of your transplant and the name of your surgeon.
- Mail both your letter or card and the separate sheet to:
Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank
Community & Professional Relations
1675 Aurora Court, Mail Stop F751
Aurora, CO 80045
- You may also email the letter or card.
Please include the information about you and your transplant in the body of the email.
Each letter or card is reviewed to ensure confidentiality before it is forwarded to the donor family. Some donor families may send a letter or card in response to your letter. Others may choose not to write to you at this time — this is their personal decision.