Dear Donor Family,
I am writing you just a few days before the end of the year. I have been searching for the right words to write you for a few months now, wanting to make sure that I was able to express in writing how grateful I am to you and your loved one for the gift you have given me.
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you have been able to find peace and find strength in those around you to honor and remember your family member.
Before the transplant, I had type one diabetes for 22 years and was going through kidney failure waiting for a donor match that would save my life. I have struggled for so many years living with diabetes and have undergone two retinal reattachment surgeries to keep me from going blind in the past two years as well as going through kidney failure.
Since the transplant, I have been healthy and diabetes free for the first time in so many years. I have a new energy and appreciation for challenges in life. I haven’t had to take insulin or count my carbohydrates or go to the emergency room because of a low blood sugar in six months. My life has been changed in so many ways that I cannot begin to count the blessings every day.
When I think about the gratitude I feel, I also feel a sense of responsibility to live life fully and wholeheartedly. I am a photographer and use my talent to advocate for those who have persevered through struggle and personify a strength that is a truly beautiful part of our world. Because of your generous donation I have been able to continue that passion and through my story I intend to share the importance of organ donation. Through sharing my story I hope to honor your loved one and help people see the importance of being an organ donor.
My life was saved because of your family’s kindness and generosity. I will carry the memory of your loved one with me throughout the rest of my life and the lives around me will remember your gift as well. My family and I hold you in our hearts and thoughts every single day.
Your friend and transplant recipient