how to honor donors

[Bax509]

Today is the third anniversary of my transplant. I was wondering if any of you had ideas on how to honor your donors?

[twicerecipient]

It's hard. I'm one of 5 boys. At the time I'm 28 and oldest is 34. He gives me one and all is great I donated money and setup college funds for his 2 boys. Not much. He's living a great life with the love of his life as are his sons.

21 years later get 2nd kidney from a sister in law who is determined to be imy donor. Success again.

She's courageously been fighting cancer. Assisting with medical bills.

Like you it's hard to come to terms with this incredible gift.

Speak wit the donor and his/her loved ones whenever you can. Again as 1 if 5 boys was hard. But now at 66 a little easier.

I wish you all the luck in this world.

[Tashikat in reply to twicerecipient]

I put money in my kidney sister’s retirement account each month, & I bought her a new used car when she needed one & took her to Mexico on vacation for a week.. Give what you can from your heart. All the best.

[Jayhawker]

I received a deceased donor kidney so don’t know my donor’s family. I sent them a thank you note shortly after the transplant and have sent another note on the anniversary each year. In that note I verify that I have made a donation to the NKF in honor of their loved one’s precious gift. I specifically request that NKF use the donation to support a person seeking a kidney transplant in any way they see fit.

Jayhawker

[Ar2D2]

Hi. I had assumed that you meant a deceased donor not a living donor. Sending a letter to the family is a very nice idea, and honors the donors’ loved ones. But I feel like the best way to honor your actual donor themself is to just to live a good life.

I’m not really religious at all, but if there is any chance that their spirit is looking down at you then that seems like the best way to honor them. Do all of the fun stuff that you couldn’t do while sick and on dialysis. Follow your dreams. Be a kind person. Try to leave the world a little bit better off. (But also know that just bc you got this huge gift doesn’t mean that its not okay to waste a day binging on Netflix and eating junk food as that is also a part of life!!)

I am participating in the Transplant Games this year for the first time with my second new kidney. I hope to win a medal for my 2 kidney tx original owners.

Congrats on 3 years!

[Bax509]

Thank you for all your beautiful stories and ideas!

[Panda9122021]

My brother and his wife donated their deceased son's organs. They received a very nice letter from one of the recipients and it touched their hearts. They framed the letter and kept it with other memorial items of their son. It helps them in their grief to know that something good came from a tragic experience.

[ShyeLoverDoctor]

I wrote letter 3 months post donation to the family of my deceased donor, then again at 5 months.I am one year out and plan to write this weekend.

I have a friend who is on his 3rd kidney. At one point, he had a deceased donor kidney and wrote the family for 10 years, once a year, never got a response. Year 11, he decided not to write. The donor’s family called the hospital/their case worker etc. to find out if something had happed to him.

If you mean a living donor…they sell keychains that I’ve seen for sale online.

I had two living donors fail the screening test. One was a stranger and one was a friend of 35 years. If my friend had been able to donate, was considering eventually drawing up a trust for his son and putting money in that. Knowing him, he might have said no I don’t want that.

My three siblings all said no and none of my 11 cousins offered. So much for family.

[Bax509 in reply to ShyeLoverDoctor]

I hear that! My brother-in-law was my donor...

[ThisAdventure]

My brother is my living donor and we celebrate his superhero status every anniversary, spending the day together doing something special - he truly is my hero and the family makes him know just how special he is. I also thank him and send him photos of me doing the things that I can enjoy now, like hikes and adventures as it’s a way to let him know how much his gift has changed my life. I try to really live my life well, for me and for him.

I have ensured that he gets his kidney function checked every year (there is shockingly no ongoing follow up of donors where we are) and I cover the costs. It’s important to me that his health stays good and that we catch anything early- it’s a way of honouring him and supporting his health.

I also participate in an annual kidney day walk fundraiser to raise awareness of kidney disease and organ donation.

[gardengirl97301]

I planted two roses in memory of my deceased donor.