Posted by Janet I hope I fully understood the two questions you have asked. The first one about contacting the donor family, could have a million different answers. It all depends on the donor family and the recipients, what is right for one, may not be ok with another. Follow your heart and send letters, cards, etc, to them unless you hear that they do not want to hear from you. I would say if you do not hear from them, to continue trying. Either they are not ready to contact you yet, or they never received the communications at all. I have only recieved one letter from Joe's recipients in the 8 years since his death, and it opening line said sorry it's been so long since I have written, and the last line was to please write back soon!! I wrote the next day, I was so excited to hear from him, and that was the one and only letter I received. My guess is that he never received my letter, as I had never received any of his. The second question has almost as many answers as the first one did....you don't ask easy questions. :o) We were approached by the OPO (Delaware Valley Transplant Program, now Gift of Life Donor Program), in PA there is a law,....Act 102 put into effect shortly before Joe died in 1994. It says that every death should be reported to the local OPO and they will determine if that person is able to be a donor, and they are the ones to ask. If I had been asked by Joe's Doctor, I probably would've hurt him, badly.....there was certainly no love loss with this man....he had a terrible bedside manner, and I would've never consented if he was involved. But ever area is different, I know that concent rates have increased tremendously since Act 102 went into effect, and I am sure if it had not been passed shortly before Joe died, I know he would not have been a donor. The OPO's are trained to do this, and it should be left to them, but that is only my opinion.....but with most places I think this is more and more the case as they see how it is increasing donation in the state of Pennsylvania.
on 2/18/2003, 8:20 pm, in reply to "2 part question "
Chris,
If I missed answering part of your question, please let me know.
Hugs, Janet, Joe's Mom
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