Donor Family Information
Brendan's Story  |
 |
Donor family support program
The Donor Family Support Program was established to ensure those involved in organ donation have access to support, if required.
The Donor Family Support Program provides specially trained counsellors who are available to support people through the grieving process and to identify other support services available within the community.
Annual Service of Thanksgiving
Ecumenical services of thanksgiving are held annually in all States of Australia in memory of donors and their families who have consented to donation at a time of great personal loss and, without whom, transplantation would not be possible. It is a time for reflection and remembrance.
In Queensland, these services of thanksgiving are held in Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville, Gold Coast and Toowoomba. The services of thanksgiving are attended by donor families, transplant recipients and their families and healthcare professionals who work in the area of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
Donor/Recipient Correspondence
Donor families and recipients may choose to correspond but the identities of both families are kept anonymous. The anonymity between donors and recipients is a legal requirement. Correspondence is usually by card or letter. The correspondence is facilitated by the donor co-ordinator so that anonymity is maintained.
These "thank you" cards and letters are an important way in which recipients can acknowledge the donor and their family for the gift that they have received.
Queensland Donor Family Story
"No time for goodbye" - a mother's story of donating her daughter's organs and tissues
Other languages