Versiti Organ and Tissue is happy to provide a number of informational handouts to help donor families cope with the loss of a loved one, better understand organ and tissue donation, and figure out what to do next.

• Caring for Yourself While Grieving
• Funeral and Memorial Service Sign
• Brain Death Donation
• Helping Children Understand Death and Grief
• Organ Donation After Circulatory Death
• Understanding Organ Donation
• Understanding Research
• Understanding Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapies
• Writing to Organ Recipients

Occasionally, we provide donor families the opportunity to participate in various events, celebrations and memorial/remembrance programs, including a Donor Family Celebration, Gift of Life Governor’s Ceremony and more.

Versiti Organ and Tissue moderates a private Facebook group to allow organ, tissue and eye donor families to connect, share stories and support each other. Visit the Versiti Organ and Tissue Donor Family Group on Facebook, click “Join,” and answer the membership questions.

Rachael’s Heart is Elayne West’s way to thank donor families for the amazing gift of organ, eye and tissue donation. After Elayne was diagnosed with stage 4 heart failure, she received a lifesaving heart transplant, thanks to Rachael.

Elayne owns the Sewing Basket in Plymouth, WI, and invites anyone who is interested to make a pillow cover and send it to or drop it off at the Sewing Basket. Pillow covers are then given to donor families at Versiti Organ and Tissue’s yearly Donor Family Celebration.

Sewers are encouraged to make their pillow covers at home, with their sewing guild or with friends. They may use their own materials or stop by the Sewing Basket for a pillow kit that contains all necessary materials.

Learn more.

Threads of Compassion is a volunteer group that knits and crochets comfort shawls for donor families. It was established in 2005 by a donor mother who sought a way to support other donor families and bring them comfort during a time of grief. With each loop and stitch, volunteers weave positive thoughts of healing, hope and love into each shawl. Versiti Organ and Tissue offers comfort shawls to donor families at the time of their loved one’s donation. Learn more about Threads of Compassion and volunteering with Versiti.

Yes. For organ donor families, basic information about the recipient(s) of your loved one’s organ(s) will automatically be mailed to you within eight weeks of your loved one’s donation.

For tissue donor families, information will only be provided when requested. Due to the processes required to ensure that your loved one’s gifts can be used in a safe, effective way, obtaining information about tissue recipients may take 13-15 months post-donation.

Yes. The decision to write to the recipient(s) of your loved one’s organ(s) is personal and can be an opportunity to share information about your family and your loved one. There is no time limit for writing a letter, and you may do it when you are ready.

Versiti Organ and Tissue will facilitate initial contact via the transplant center where the organ transplant took place, maintaining donor and recipient privacy and confidentiality. Before direct communication between donor families and recipients may take place, the donor family and organ recipient(s) must have written each other a letter, and both must sign a release form.

Learn more about writing to organ recipients

Unlike organ and eye donation, where recipients are identified immediately, tissue may not be transplanted for up to five years. Because of this, tissue recipients must initiate contact with donor families. If your loved one’s tissue recipient(s) writes a letter that include their addresses and submits it to our tissue partner, donor families have the opportunity to respond, if they choose. Whether or not your loved one’s tissue recipient(s) chooses to write, your loved one’s generosity will always be remembered.