Correspondence Guidelines

This information is based on a brochure produced by the Lions Corneal Donation Service - in consultation with the Victorian Donor Coordination Service and the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria

Corneal donation is a generous and special gift, but it can also effect the grieving process for those who have lost a loved one.

The single most important and beneficial thing that can be offered to the donor’s family is the simple gesture of thanks from the corneal recipient.

We appreciate that you, as a corneal recipient, may also be experiencing a range of emotions as a result of your transplant surgery. The decision of how and when to say thank you is personal. There is no particular right time to write, for some people it will be soon after their surgery, for others it will be months or years later, and of course some people may prefer not to write.

Your decision, whether to write or not, is fully respected. Recipients should feel no obligation.

What information may I share?

The law is very clear in Australia that the organ and tissue donation and transplant services are not permitted to identify donors and recipients to each other.

Correspondence can be passed via our office between the recipient and the donor family, provided it does not identify either party.

As a guide, you may consider including the following in a letter or card of thanks to the donor’s family:

• Your age in general terms (example: 40's).
• Gender.
• Occupation in general terms.
• First name.
• Reason for needing a transplant.
• What having a transplant has meant for you.
• Interests, hobbies.
• Anything else about you or your family that is non-identifying

What information should I not include?

Please do not include any information which could identify you directly, or which might identify you because of its unusual or high profile nature.

Please avoid stating:

• Your surname.
• Your surgeon’s surname.
• Where you had your operation.
• The exact date of your operation.
• The city or town in which you live.

How should I send my letter?

Please leave your correspondence unsealed, and send it (to the Lions Corneal Donation Service) with a covering note explaining who it is from.

Your letter or card will be read by the Transplant Coordinator to confirm that there are no identifying details. It will then be sealed and forwarded on to the donor family. Should the correspondence need to be altered in any way, the Transplant Coordinator will contact you to discuss the necessary changes.

Tribute Tree Program

As an alternative, or in addition to writing to the donor family, some recipients have expressed an interest in the Tribute Tree Program which is administered and run by Tobin Brothers Funerals.

Tribute Tree certificates are forwarded on to the donor family with any other correspondence, and with a covering letter to explain that the corneal recipient has offered this living tribute as a gesture of thanks.

There is a $50 donation, directed to bereavement services, requested by Tobin Brothers for this service. If you would like further information, please contact the Lions Corneal Donation Service on (03) 9929 8708.