As it’s coming up to Christmas and myself and Betty are doing well at the moment, I decided it was time to thank the family of my donor. I wanted to write a card and give it to my transplant team to send. It was a tough thing to put such emotions into words, but I felt it was necessary and hoped that it might ease the pain of a family losing a loved one. All I was ever told about my donor is that he was a sixty two year old man from down south. This unknown man, a stranger, perhaps a dad or even a grandad, saved my life. How do you even begin to thank a person who’s no longer here? who knew that if he died, he wanted to help others. What an inspirational human being. His family too are heroes for letting the donation proceed. My card read as follows:
Dear donor family
I feel very guilty about taking so long to write this letter, it has been nearly fifteen months since I received the most amazing gift of a kidney transplant. Words will never be able to express my eternal gratitude but I felt it was time to at least try. It takes a special sort of someone to allow donation to proceed in such a time of grief but I hope that knowing that it has given me a new chance at life helps a little.
You might like to hear that after a very tough first year, things have finally settled down and I am doing well. Myself and my husband have made lots of travel plans and intend to enjoy ourselves. I also work to raise awareness and funds for Kidney Research UK and try to live up to the example your loved one has set by helping others. I plan to climb a glacier in February for this great charity.
I have been ill for a decade, since finishing Liverpool university, and now you have given me the opportunity to enjoy life again without the constraints of dialysis. I would like you to know that you are always in my thoughts. Thankyou for saving the life of someone you have never met.
Christy
Aged 30
I hope all that read this can understand what the gift of life can mean to somebody like me, and why signing the donor register is so important. It really could change someone’s life. You too could be a hero.
The Adventures of Betty the Kidney 
Hello Christy-
Today I met my recipient at a meeting arranged by the transplant center! With me was my original recipient ( he had developed antibodies to me so we became part of a chain.)
To know that you or someone you love can have such a positive impact on a whole family is indescribable! Don’t worry that it took you some time to contact them. They will see from your letter the struggle that you had and realize that it took you sometime to put order to your thoughts and feelings.
Your letter will remind them of the best of their loved one and will bring the feeling of his spirit closer and ease the loss.
Sappy, but true!
Go get the glacier!
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Thankyou for your lovely words Alex. You are a hero for donating. As is my donor and his family. You’re all amazing and an inspiration to others. I’m going to kill that glacier 😉 x
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