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Writing to your donor’s
family / Writing to the recipient / Writing to Southern Eye
Bank
The decision to write to your donor’s family or your
recipient is a very personal one. Families of eye donors
are often comforted in knowing that their loved one has made
an incredible difference in the lives of others. Recipients
often want to express their appreciation to donor families
for their restored vision. The following guidelines have
been implemented so that your letters will be able to be
forwarded.
*** The donor and recipient must remain anonymous. Please
do not use last names in your correspondence. You may state the
age, sex and state of you or your loved one. Please do not
send photographs. (See Writing to Southern Eye Bank)
*** Please do not give specific dates of surgeries, birth dates
or dates of death; however, the general month and year may
be given.
*** Some writers may not decide to write immediately. When
the decision to write is made, please understand that it
is possible that the addressee may have moved. Every attempt
to locate the addressee will be made and you will be aware
of the progress.
*** The recipient’s/donor family’s religion
is unknown. Please be sensitive to this issue in your letters.
*** If you should not know what to say in your letters,
feel free to call upon us and we will help you. Writing about
hobbies, the donation process, the transplant process and
other pieces of information is a good way to start.
*** Please understand that if you do not receive a letter,
it may be because many donor families are still in the grieving
process. Recipients may feel more comfortable waiting a while
before they write so that their progress will be more accurate.
Whatever the case may be, understand that the process of
correspondence does not happen overnight. If the letter is
a time critical one, please call our offices immediately
so that we can help.
Writing To Southern Eye Bank
You do not need to send anonymous letters if Southern Eye
Bank is the final addressee. Please do
not hesitate to send photos, letters of encouragement,
hope and information about your experience. Your letters
will help others who have lost a loved one or who is anticipating
a corneal transplant. If the public did not know about
the importance of donation, corneal transplants would not
take place. If you wish that your letters are personal,
please state so and your story will not be told. Names
(unless you state otherwise) are not disclosed, just the
details of your experience. You may also send your letters
via email or call our office if you wish.
It helps that you start the process by calling our organization
before you send your letters. After we receive your call,
we will contact the addressee and ask permission to send
them the correspondence. We will call you and give you the
results from the phone call. All letters sent to Southern
Eye Bank will be screened for confidentiality purposes. Please
send your letter/card to your donor family/recipient in an
unsealed envelope. Address the outer envelope to the following
address:
Southern Eye Bank
ATTN: Colleen Oltmann
4621 West Napoleon Avenue
Suite 209
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
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