The Mid-America Transplant Foundation Board of Directors approved more than $470,000 to support grief centers serving Mid-America Transplant’s service area in alignment with its mission to save and heal lives in the community it serves.  The awards represent a 57 percent increase in funding allocated to these important resources aimed at assisting the community heal.

“Several years ago, the Foundation identified the need to help donor families heal through professional counseling services delivered by grief centers throughout our service area,” said Kevin Lee, Executive Director of the Foundation. “We are acutely aware  that the loss of a loved one can make it difficult to get through any given day or moment, and this commitment by the Board of Directors represents our ongoing support of donor families throughout our region.”

Mid-America Transplant, which served more than 2,500 donor families in 2019, is committed to supporting donor families through its Aftercare program and the financial support of grief counseling programs, which provide a safe place to navigate the grief journey.

Grief Center Grant Recipients

• Annie’s Hope in St Louis served more than 3,400 clients in 2019 – more than 20 percent of its clients were related to an organ, eye or tissue donor – with its comprehensive support services for children, teens, and their families who are grieving a death. Serving the St. Louis region since 1998, Annie’s Hope takes a comprehensive approach of best practices in facilitated peer support to initiate the healing process and alter the trajectory of grief, leading to healthier outcomes. The grant will continue to support programs serving families of donors, including Camp Courage, retreats, family support groups, and the Horizons program.
• Heartlinks Grief Center in Belleville, IL is a program of Family Hospice, and it assists grieving children, individuals, families, and groups through counseling, peer support groups, and other community programs. In 2019, Heartlinks served more than 2,500 people, including more than 100 donor family members. The grant will allow Heartlinks to continue growing its capacity to serve the community, while adding addiction/substance abuse loss programs and rural grief programs.
• Infant Loss Resources serves St. Louis and Springfield, MO by connecting families directly affected by infant loss to programs, services and information related to grief support. Serving more than 250 people in 2019, Infant Loss Resources will continue to operate the “You’re Not Alone” program with the grant. The program aims to improve the lives of bereaved parents and extended family members by offering free grief support.
• Lost & Found Grief Center (LFGC) is the only professional counseling service established solely to serve grieving families and individuals within two-and-a-half hours of Springfield, MO. Providing grief support for 20 years, LFGC served more than 2,400 individuals in 2019. The grant will allow LFGC to increase the capacity of its grief services, including therapeutic grief support groups for children, parents, and adults.
• The NEA Baptist Center for Good Grief serves Jonesboro, AR and the surrounding communities as a comprehensive bereavement center providing free grief support to children, teens and adults. The Good Grief Center served nearly 250 individuals in 2019 and identified a growing need for support services in rural areas of Arkansas and Missouri. The grant will support the development of a new teletherapy grief service program, allowing therapists to interact face-to-face with patients by way of video conferencing with individuals in rural, underserved communities who are unable to travel to Jonesboro. 
• The Counseling and Social Advocacy Center (CSAC) at the University of Missouri-St. Louis assists individuals, couples, and families with affordable counseling services provided by professional counselors and graduate counseling students. CSAC anticipates serving more than 800 people in the St. Louis community – specifically north St. Louis County, which has been historically underserved as it relates to mental health services – during the 2019-2020 fiscal year with comprehensive grief services.

The Mid-America Transplant Foundation awards grants to partner organizations aligned to the Foundation’s mission. Organizations are invited to submit an application. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to partner organizations.

Learn More About Foundation Grants

The Mid-America Transplant Foundation Board of Directors pledged more than $210,000 in grant funding requests to partner organizations committed to decreasing the need for transplants through preventative health measures and supporting recipients by ensuring they have access to care and resources they need. The programs receiving funding align with the Foundation’s mission, including its goal to reduce the need for organ and tissue transplants and to improve the lives of recipients.

2020 Partner Grant Recipients

• Casa de Salud is a primary care clinic in St. Louis providing preventative care to low-income, uninsured immigrants and refugees. This population is at high risk of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes because of socio-economic conditions and cultural and linguistic barriers to care. The clinic served nearly 2,300 people in 2019. The grant will allow Casa de Salud to continue providing these important services while also educating clients on diet and lifestyle choices to manage diabetes and hypertension, which are conditions that can lead to the need for organ transplants.
• SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital is a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center providing care to communities throughout Illinois, Missouri, and beyond. The Cardinal Glennon transplant program cares for children needing lifesaving kidney, liver or heart transplants. Research has indicated most transplant patients and their parents will experience psychological stress that affects their ability to conduct their daily lives as a result of the child’s admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In addition, virtually all PICU physicians and nurses will experience some level of complex psychological problem of burnout or compassion fatigue. The grant will allow Cardinal Glennon to develop mental health services for recipients, their family, and hospital staff.  
• Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors provides support for burn survivors and families through in-person and online programming, including peer-to-peer support and learning tools. With the grant, the Phoenix Society hopes to increase awareness of the services provided and the importance of tissue donation.

“As an organization, we have a longstanding commitment to decreasing the need for transplants through preventative health measures with partners in our community, and we’re excited to continue this partnership with Casa de Salud,” said Kevin Lee, Executive Director of the Foundation. “In this cycle, we’re also proud to partner with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors to provide much needed resources to transplant recipients and transplant medical professionals, both of whom often experience complex stress during the transplant journey. These grants – coupled with the Foundation’s support of grief programs in our region – truly show the Board of Director’s commitment to the entire donation and transplantation community.”

The Mid-America Transplant Foundation awards grants to partner organizations aligned to the Foundation’s mission. Organizations are invited to submit an application. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to partner organizations.

Learn More About Foundation Grants

Every April, Mid-America Transplant joins Donate Life America (DLA) in celebration of National Donate Life Month (NDLM), focusing national attention on organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. During NDLM, we encourage everyone to share the importance of registering their decision to be a donor, honor deceased and living donors, and celebrate the lifesaving and healing gift of transplantation.

During NDLM 2020, Donate Life America will also be celebrating 20 years of the Donate Life℠ symbol. Since 2000, Donate Life has been recognized as the national symbol for the cause of organ, eye and tissue donation. Blue, green and the swirl represent the sky, earth and circle of life. The Donate Life symbol is a call to action, asking the public to Donate Life — to register their decision to save and heal lives and consider living donation.

The Donate Life brand unites the hundreds of donation and transplantation organizations and the hundreds of thousands of patients, recipients, living donors, donor families, supporters and patients waiting.

“This April, we are celebrating the generosity of donation that has grown from the public over the past 20 years,” says David Fleming, President & CEO of Donate Life America. “National Donate Life Month is a time to educate about the donation cause, honor donors and donor families, and celebrate life made possible by the decision of individuals and the dedication of donation and transplant professionals.”

Key celebrations and features of National Donate Life Month 2020 include:

National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, April 17, 2020

National Pediatric Transplant Week, April 19-25, 2020

The last full week of National Donate Life Month is dedicated to kids. National Pediatric Transplant Week provides a platform to talk about the potential of ending the pediatric waiting list, to share transplant program innovation and patient stories, and to honor donor families whose children have saved and healed lives through donation. Information and public resources are available at DonateLife.net/pediatric-transplant-week.

Donate Life America (DLA) partners with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST), and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) to celebrate and promote National Pediatric Transplant Week.

National Donate Life Month Artwork

Each year, Donate Life America (DLA) creates unique artwork for National Donate Life Month (NDLM). The NDLM 2020 art was inspired by the springtime scene of a garden. A garden and the insects within it serve as symbols of hope, courage and transformed life — themes repeatedly found within the donation and transplantation journey.

Donate Life America recognizes and thanks the 60 percent of U.S. adults who have registered their decision to save lives as organ, eye and tissue donors at the time of their death — and the record number of nearly 7,400 living donors whose generosity saved lives in 2019. Nearly 112,000 people across the country – and about 1,100 in the St. Louis region – are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant. On average, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time — almost one person dying every hour. Thousands more people are waiting for lifesaving and healing eye and tissue transplants. You can help by registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and learning more about the option of living donation.

Register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at SayYesGiveLife.org.

*Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of March 11, 2020

_________________________________________________________

About Donate Life America

Donate Life America (DLA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available to save and heal lives. DLA manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national brand for the cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org; and develops and executes effective multi-media campaigns to promote donation.

Mid-America Transplant media contact:

Justin Phelps
O: 314-735-8467
C: 309-472-1878
jphelps@midamericatransplant.org

National Donate Life Month is a month-long observance throughout April, and we hope you’ll join us in celebrating this important time. NDLM, short for National Donate Life Month, is designed to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.

While we typically would be getting ready for several community events, the coronavirus pandemic has caused us all to pause, wash our hands, stay six feet away from everyone, and spend a little more time on social media. So, we are focusing our attention on taking National Donate Life Month to social media this year!

Here are eight ways to participate:

1. Follow Mid-America Transplant. First and foremost, follow us! We are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When you like, comment and share on our posts, your friends see our post too. It’s an easy way to share how important National Donate Life Month is to you.

2. NDLM-Themed Social Media Cover Images and Profile Pictures. Visit Donate Life America’s National Donate Life Month webpage and download social media cover images and profile pictures to show your support of donation and transplantation. This is an easy way to reach all of your friends and contacts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. In the description of the image, include a link to SayYesGiveLife.org where all of your friends can join the registry.

3. Facebook Frame & Camera Effects. Find this beautiful option by clicking here! You can choose from the 2020 Donate Life Month garden theme or a Donate Life green band frame. Here's how to add it:

1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/profilepicframes.
2. Search for the frame by entering "Donate Life"
3. Choose the frame you want to use and click Use as Profile Picture. 

4. Share Your Story. We want to share at least one new story of a donor or recipient every day during National Donate Life Month! Do you have a personal connection to donation and/or transplantation? Share your story on our website by clicking here, and we may share your story and picture on our social media channels. You can inspire others to make a lifesaving, heroic decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

5. Share the NDLM Artwork. When you visit Donate Life America’s website, you can download graphics for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts. Post those to your pages with information about the artwork and a call-to-action to join the registry at SayYesGiveLife.org!

6. Blue & Green Day is April 16th. Dress up in your best blue and green outfit for Blue & Green Day on Friday, April 16. Blue and/or green shirt? Check! Blue and green shoes? Check! Blue and green hair accessory? Check! Blue and green nail polish? Check! If it’s blue and/or green, wear it!

7. Get Creative. As we all try to keep our distance during the pandemic, here are a few ways to reach new people with the lifesaving message of organ, eye and tissue donation:

• Print the NDLM ad and hang it in a window
• Download, print and color the NDLM coloring sheet and hang it on your home’s door.
• Use sidewalk chalk to make the Donate Life logo near your home and share a picture of your artwork with us at info@midamericatransplant.org.

8. Have You Joined the Registry? And most important, if you haven’t done so yet, join the organ, eye and tissue donor registry by visiting SayYesGiveLife.org. Nearly 112,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. They’re counting on us to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation to give them a second chance at life.

Wishing you a happy National Donate Life Month! Thank you for your support and your dedication to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation!

These are unprecedented times. Every day we learn of new challenges the novel coronavirus is creating in our lives. While this pandemic is disrupting everyone’s daily lives, we know it is causing additional concern for those who have received a lifesaving organ transplant and the 112,000 Americans still on the national waiting list.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we are continuing our mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation. Our surgical suites are open and ready to facilitate the donation process. We are taking steps to make sure safe, viable organs are available for transplant because we know people are waiting, and we’re making sure we do this safely while following national, state and local guidelines. 

General Information
Our clinical team and hospital partners continue their tireless and inspiring efforts to save lives. Our Quality team is continually assessing the latest guidelines regarding risk assessment for potential donors. We remain committed to working every day to provide organ and tissue donation opportunities to donor families and recipients.

To achieve this, Mid-America Transplant adheres to the highest medical standards. We are following local, state and national infection prevention guidelines as we monitor COVID-19. This includes the screening and testing of potential donors.

At this point, a potential donor infected with COVID-19 is not able to donate organs or tissues. Our team is continually assessing the latest guidelines from the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, the United Network for Organ Sharing, the CDC and other medical professionals as it relates to transplants.    

Mid-America Transplant Offices Closed
To minimize the risk of exposure to our staff, the majority of our non-clinical teams are working from home for the majority of each week. This approach reduces contact among our non-clinical staff and reduces risk to our clinical teams who work in our facility to carry out our mission to save lives. 

At this time, our office in St. Louis is not accepting any visitors. If you need to contact us, please email info@midamericatransplant.org or call 314-735-8200.

In-Person Events to be Virtual or Postponed
Mid-America Transplant has moved some events to a virtual format. Other events have been postponed. Be sure to watch for updates on our website and social media channels. 

COVID-19 Information and Resources
As we continue to monitor this evolving situation, visit the CDC and your local state health department websites for up-to-date information. If you experience symptoms of COVID-19 and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, call your doctor for further instructions.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• Arkansas Department of Health

We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available. Until then, stay safe, wash your hands, and be kind to one another. We’re all in this together.

Update July 2020

At Mid-America Transplant, we hold the health and safety of our employees, partners and everyone we serve as a top priority. As a precaution to the risks associated with the COVID-19 virus, the organization has decided to postpone all events planned by Mid-America Transplant through April 30. The decision to postpone events was considered carefully, balancing the risk of coronavirus and our desire to limit exposure for our donor families, recipients and their families, and our team.

While our events are cancelled, our clinical team and hospital partners will continue their tireless and inspiring efforts to save lives through organ and tissue donation. We are closely monitoring the situation per guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), other industry organizations, and our own medical experts. As always, the health and well-being of the donation and transplant community is our highest priority.

Over the next few weeks, we will reevaluate the situation to determine if our future schedule of events can be safely attended.  In the meantime, watch our social media outlets for our plans to celebrate National Donate Life Month “virtually” throughout the month of April.

Prevention
We encourage everyone to review the CDC recommendations for prevention, which are the same practices used to prevent the cold and flu. Click here for the CDC’s recommendation.

The CDC also lists symptoms for those with coronavirus. If you experience symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, call your doctor and/or your state’s coronavirus hotline for further instructions.

• Missouri hotline: 877-435-8411
• Illinois hotline: 800-889-3931

Mid-America Transplant is continually evaluating the risk of coronavirus and will provide updates as new developments related to organ and tissue donation occur.

Mid-America Transplant is joining the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) in spreading a viral message of action, awareness, hope, and cultural pride throughout February in commemoration of Black History Month. The hashtags for this year’s toolkit are #AMAT; #Becoming; #BecomingBlackHistory

February is a month where we celebrate the rich tradition and history of the vanguard of organ, eye and tissue donation in African-American community. Black History Month is an opportune time to educate and raise awareness about the unique challenges African-Americans face on the transplant waiting list, and the ways in which African-American professional and community leaders have committed to work to conquer these challenges through dedicating their time and professional talents to the transplant and transplant advocacy fields.

This social media campaign creates a vital platform for raising awareness about the realities of donation and transplant among African-Americans. Leaders who are featured in this campaign tirelessly embody the mission to save and heal lives and their stories will inspire others to take a leadership role to strengthen their community. During the month of February, #DonateLife organizations have a unique opportunity to recognize the work of African-Americans who are advancing the collective effort to increase the number of registered African-American organ, eye, and tissue donors.

In the St. Louis area, more than 350 African Americans are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. The vast majority of them are waiting for a kidney. As this statistic shows, there is a critical shortage of donated organs. In addition, minorities wait twice as long for transplants, and they continue to have disproportionately higher incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, all of which lead to organ failure, especially kidney failure.

Throughout the month of February supporters of the #AMAT #Becoming #BecomingBlackHistory campaign are encouraged to tag photos of local African-American community advocates and share them with their followers, as well as with AMAT and Donate Life organizations. Along with the #AMAT #Becoming #BecomingBlackHistory social media hashtags, AMAT has developed a special digital toolkit that includes: a customizable press release template, four profiles and two infographics with facts about donation in the African-American community.  

To access the toolkit, please visit: Black History Month Toolkit 2019

About the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT)

AMAT was established in 1991 to address the increasing need for organ, eye, and tissue donors in the multicultural communities while simultaneously offering support, shared expertise, and professional development opportunities for its members as they save and heal lives.  AMAT is a self-sustaining, self-governed organization operating solely on voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, and other affiliated organizations. For more information, visit: www.AMAT1.org.

Every November, Donate Life America leads the country in observing National Donor Sabbath, a three-day observance that provides faith leaders an opportunity to bring the Donate Life message and cause of organ, eye and tissue donation to their congregations and communities. National Donor Sabbath seeks to include the days of worship (Friday-Sunday) for faith communities of major religions practiced in the United States. This year, National Donor Sabbath will be celebrated November 15-17. 

During National Donor Sabbath, communities of faith participate in services and programs to educate their members about the need for donation, the generosity of the gift and the importance of registering one’s decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. It is a time to pray for health for recipients, strength for those waiting, and healing for donor families. National Donor Sabbath also offers a time to give thanks for registered donors, living donors and the legacy of life given by deceased donors. 

All major religions in the U.S. support donation as an act of compassion and generosity. For many people, their faith and faith community play an important role in the decision to register as a deceased donor or to consider becoming a living donor. 

Donate Life America’s message during National Donor Sabbath is to be a symbol of hope for those who are waiting. The art and resources created for this observance feature symbols for major religions within the United States. The phrase of “be a symbol” calls us all to consider our role within others’ donation and transplantation journeys. By registering your decision to be a deceased donor, you are giving hope to those waiting for a donated organ, cornea or tissues. By considering living donation, you are taking a step towards sharing the gift of life with someone who is currently waiting for a second chance at life. 

To register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit SayYesGiveLife.org. For more information about National Donor Sabbath, please visit www.donatelife.net/nds.

November 2019 is Eye Donation Month, and Mid-America Transplant will be raising awareness about the lifesaving opportunities created through eye donation.

Eye Donation Month 2019 will focus on all the individuals who make the gift of sight possible. Eye bank staff, cornea surgeons, funeral directors, medical examiners/coroners, hospital administrators, cornea donor families and cornea recipients are the enduring champions for the millions of people around the world whose lives were transformed through cornea donation and transplantation.

Quick Facts:

• This year, Mid-America Transplant is expecting to recover more than 1,200 corneas suitable for transplant. 
• Last year, heroic donors through Mid-America Transplant gifted 1,108 corneas for transplant to help patients regain their sight.
• Almost anyone can be a cornea donor, regardless of vision, age, or past ocular health issues such as cataracts or laser vision correction.
• The transplants performed each year increase their recipients’ productivity and reduce their healthcare costs, contributing $6 billion in benefits to the US healthcare system.

It all starts with registering to be an eye, organ and tissue donor at SayYesGiveLife.org and sharing your decision with your family and loved ones.

During Eye Donation Month, Mid-America Transplant will promote cornea donation and transplantation awareness; encourage individuals to register as eye, organ and tissue donors; honor donors and their families; and celebrate cornea recipients. Follow along all month on our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

As the sun peaked over the trees of Forest Park, a splash of bright morning light landed on the pictures of 256 organ and tissue donors. Colorful ribbons, some adorned with memories and notes about loved ones, fluttered from tree limbs with the sunrise glistening in the background. It was the Garden of Heroes, honoring heroic donors who have given the Gift of Life. It was one of many beautiful and inspiring moments at the fourth annual Celebrate Life 5K Run/Walk on Sunday at the Upper Muny Parking Lot in Forest Park.

The Garden of Heroes represents the sadness of losing a loved one balanced with the solace of knowing that person – that hero – saved lives. “This is the memory of a loved one,” said Angela McMillan, who was attending to honor her brother Roderick. “Each year you come back, it gives you inspiration knowing that you’ll see their face and feel their spirit, because they are still here. I love the memorial, because you see all these families coming together to honor their loved one.”

An estimated 3,000 people attended the Celebrate Life 5K. They came bearing tribute signs for their loved one, wearing custom t-shirts celebrating their loved one’s life, and preparing for the hilly 3.1-mile course.

“We Have His Heart!”

Savannah Roesch described her brother, Donovan Bulger, to the crowd of donor families, recipients, transplant patients, medical professionals and supporters of the cause.  He was a 21-year-old who would do anything to help others. “The world is less bright without him in it, and we miss him more than we could ever express,” she said.

She then described how they met Donovan’s heart recipient. “Chances are many of you here today have watched the video or heard about our incredible story,” she said. Savannah and her family were at Busch Stadium for Transplant Awareness Day sponsored by Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Just after getting a group picture, a woman approached the family and asked, “Are you Donovan’s family?”

They assumed she knew Donovan through work or school. The woman then said, “We have his heart! My husband has his heart!” Donovan’s heart recipient, John Sueme, was attending the game too. His daughter recognized the picture of Donovan on the family’s shirts, and John’s wife approached Donovan’s family.

The meeting was captured on video and featured on television stations nationwide. Later in the day, each member of Donovan’s family was able to listen to his heart beat again. “The way I felt that day is just indescribable,” Savannah said.

Savannah concluded her remarks: “We are so proud of our brother Donovan, and his decision to be an organ and tissue donor. Even though he’s no longer with us, we do find peace and comfort knowing our loss has given life to others. Our loved ones we have lost, they are heroes. Our family joins yours in honoring our loved ones.”

Our One Day to Remember

Angel Dodson was in the Garden of Heroes with her family. The picture of her youngest daughter, Quinn, was among the heroes recognized on this day. Quinn passed away three years ago as a small child. She saved two children through the donation of her heart valves and cartilage.

“It’s important because as a donor family, sometimes you feel that your loved one has been forgotten and you’re the only one who remembers her,” Angela said of attending the 5K. “We don’t celebrate birthdays, you don’t have the holidays, so this is our one day to remember her and to have all of our family and friends together. And it’s great to see other donor families you can relate to.”

It brings everyone together

Team EJ was attending in honor of EJ Harris, a young man who enjoyed Fortnite and playing football. He saved four lives as a donor in 2018.  “It’s a beautiful sight just to see everyone represented that’s not here,” said Reckel Harris, EJ’s cousin. “I love the unity at the Celebrate Life 5K. It brings everyone together. It felt peaceful, and I love that.”

Paul Kosednar finished second in his age group after running in honor of his son, Elias. He became a donor about one year after he received a lung transplant. “We celebrate him on his birthday and the day of transplant,” Paul said. “And for me, this event is on par with those and equal to those in terms of how much we look forward to it.”

The gift of yet another day

John Sueme, Donovan Bulger’s heart recipient, also shared his story of waiting and receiving. He thanked his donor’s family and all of those attending the Celebrate Life 5K.

“I am a most fortunate man,” he said. “Every day when I shave, I look into the mirror and I see the scar on my chest. I am reminded of the gift I received from my hero, Donovan Bulger: The gift of yet another day. I will close with the same sentiment I expressed in my original recipient letter to my donor family. I am sincerely, sadly, gratefully, and triumphantly yours.”