how is my recipient doing??

[CraftyDaisy]

So, I donated one of my kidney’s to a stranger a while ago. Obviously, legally, I can’t be told anything about them and how they’re doing post transplant etc. Is is wrong that this is now annoying me?

[Transplant2018]

Thank you for being so amazing generous! I don't know the system in the UK, but here in the US you can send a letter to your recipient via the transplant center. If the recipient responds, that may allow you to be in contact. Again, many thanks for being so wonderful.

[Bassetmommer]

I do not know the answer to this other than asking someone to forward a message as suggested. But you are an Angel and thank you for doing that. Saving someone from the hardship of dialysis is more than you will know.

[LisaSnow]

It is possible that the recipient is too shy to contact you to express their thanks, or that they are still feeling under the weather adjusting to the new normal. It is hard to say. I wouldn't worry too much about it but feel great that I saved someone's life!

[Winner76]

Hi,

In Ireland you can write a letter to the deceased donors family , and the transplant team send it on . It took me a long time to write that letter but it didn’t mean I wasn’t extremely grateful. Hopefully you’ve changed that persons life , it’s amazing what you’ve done.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

I was able to reach out to my deceased donor's family through my Transplant Center. The center forwarded my letter to the family and it was up to them if they wanted to reach out to me. Within 6 weeks my donor's Mom sent me a letter and a picture of her son, Ryan, my donor. We still, 25 years later correspond.

[Sapphire187]

I just had a kidney transplant from an altruistic anonymous donor 2.5 weeks ago. I am so grateful and thankful to him for his selfless, generous gift of his kidney. I would love to know how he did and I pray he is recovering well. They would not tell me anything about him except he was male and in his 50's. I am 66. The transplant team said If I wanted I could write him a letter in a few months from now and they would see that he gets it. They told me not to expect him to contact me, but he could respond to my letter if he chooses to and they will pass it along to me. I am in the United States. Thank you so much for your generosity and selflessness in donating your kidney to a stranger. You can't imagine what a gift that is to someone who needs a kidney. Mine was a preemptive kidney transplant and thankfully I will likely never have to go on dialysis which was my destiny before this wonderful gift from my donor. I had some complications and had to be rushed back into surgery the morning after my transplant. My new kidney is not working yet, but they are hopeful it will wake up in the next several weeks. I went in the hospital with ESRD and still have ESRD. However, I trust the doctors that it will eventually wake up. I hope you can find some peace if you aren't able to get a letter from your recipient. As someone else said, recovery is hard and exhausting. I'm sure your recipient thinks of you and is extremely grateful and thankful for your gift. As I said, my transplant team said they would pass on a letter from me in a few months. I'm not sure why they don't pass one on sooner. Maybe to give the donor and recipient time to heal first .

[metalminded]

Hi CraftyDaisy.

I had a transplant 11 years ago (unfortunately will need another eventually) and after the surgery and during my recovery I wrote a letter to the family as well. I'm in the US and I sent it to the organization called Gift of Hope. They are the go between the recipient and donor and manage that relationship.

In my case, it was a deceased donor. I did not hear from the family until years later. The donor's two sisters reached out to me via email. In this case, their family was much too grief stricken and chose not to respond. My donor, I later found out, was a young woman in her 20s who died in a car accident. A terrible shame.

Don't give up. If your transplant center can't help, see if an organization like Gift of Hope exists in the UK.

Good luck!!

[John-Sammy]

No , that is completely understandable . . . I can empathise with that emotion entirely .

(I am a Kidney transplant recipient, from a deceased anonymous donor [their family] ~ successful for 8 years now)

In the UK there is a transplant co-ordinator team system . I imagine your renal health may be checked occasionally ? By contacting renal department where you donated , perhaps an anonymous enquiry could be made in an appropriate way , simply to ascertain your recipient's health & well-being ?

The value of your altruism will live forever , regardless . . .

All the Best , John

[gardengirl97301]

At my transplant center you can write a letter to your donor/donors family telling them about yourself and if they’d be interested in writing? I had a deceased donor and my donors family did write back. As time went on I think it was just too hard for them, so I don't reach out anymore. The transplant center handles the letters, they’ll send you the response when and if you get one.