3 Letters of Gratitude (2001 and 2010)

Friday, July 9, 2010; it's been 3 weeks today since I got home from the hospital. I am feeling considerably better. It's amazing what time and a little Tender Loving Care can do!

I reminisced on the gifts of organ donation. I have wanted to share the first two letters {below} since I started writing over a year ago but now having with the third, I think it it's an appropriate time to post them.


On May 20, 2001, my brother Rollie never knew what was going to happen. He was 27 and generated both grief and gratitude within such a short span of time... depending on whose vantage point.

In the early hours of May 21, 2001, my brother gave several gifts of 'life' as the process of donating his organs was initiated by my father to whom two of the below letters are addressed.

The third letter is from the recipients of my living kidney donation.

Letter 1

New Brunswick Eye Bank
St. Joseph's Hospital
130 Bayard Drive, Saint John, NB, Canada, E2L 3L6
Tel (506) 632-5541 Fax (506) 632-5573


May 24, 2001

Mr. Walter Corey
(NB address)

Dear Mr. Corey;

At this time of extreme personal sorrow for you and your famiy, I wish to thank you for your son Rowland's great gifts.

Rowland's corneas were sent to Halifax where they were used for transplant and because of him, two people have been blessed with restored vision. We can only imagine how wonderful that must be for them. On their behalf, I thank you for the ability to see family, friends, and beautiful surroundings.

On behalf of the New Brunswick Eye Bank I extend our deepest sympathy to you and your family, and I trust that you will find comfort in the knowledge that Rowland's gifts of sight are a living tribute to his life.

With gratitude and respect,

Mary Gatien, RN, CEBT
Director NB Eye Bank

Letter 2

Health and Wellness New Brunswick

May 29, 2001

Mr. Walter Corey
(NB address)

Dear Mr. Corey,

Please accept my sympathy on the recent death of your son, Rowland. At the same time I want to thank you and your family for the donation of Rowland's organs and corneas for transplantation. Because of your generosity at the time of deep sadness 6 people have greatly had their lives improved.

The recipients of the organs are all doing very well at this time.

The liver recipient is a 61-year old man. The recipient of Rowland's heart is a 49-year old woman. Both kidney recipients are young women. One is 18 years old and the other is 23.

Again Mr. Corey, on behalf of these recipients and their families my thanks for agreeing to organ donation. If you have any questions in the future please contact me.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Ann Secord, RN
Organ Procurement Officer
Hospital Services Branch

Letter 3

Received June 16, 2010

Dear Donor

Hi, I am the wife of your recipient. It is hard to find the words to tell you how much your gift means to us as we are overwhelmed with the generosity of your spirit. I am also donating a kidney to a stranger but I am doing it for my husband, to see him healthy again and off dialysis.

Thank you from all of us in our extended families - this is a great and wonderful thing you are doing and you are a hero to us, and always will be.

Friend:

I'm the husband with the bad kidneys. My wife and I have been married 20 years this year. We're crazy about each other. No kids, but we have the cutest dog you ever saw. We're very lucky.

I've know for years that I had kidney disease, but the reality of kidney failure hit us like a thunderbolt three years ago. Being on dialysis is like being on a long, extremely boring and inconvenient march.

Your gift is giving us our lives back. Thank you so much.

We wish you a speedy recovery and a long, happy life.