Corresponding with Recipients

Choosing to write to your loved one’s transplant recipient(s) is a very personal decision. For some donor families, writing a letter or card to recipients about their loved one’s life can help in the grieving process. Other donor families prefer privacy.

Iowa Lions Eye Bank maintains a confidential list of eye donors and their cornea transplant recipients. Transplant recipients are encouraged to express their gratitude to the loved ones of their donor for the gift of sight received. We are honored to facilitate communication between donor families and cornea recipients. Our correspondence policy includes maintaining respect and confidentiality for both parties throughout the process. All initial communication is mailed to the eye bank and then forwarded to the recipient or donor’s family, keeping the exchange anonymous for at least one year.
If you or another family member wishes to write to the cornea recipient(s), these guidelines may be helpful: 

• Please address your correspondence to “Transplant Recipient.”
• Provide general information such as your loved one’s first name only, their
  occupation and/or hobbies and interests, and family situation such as marital status, children, siblings, etc.
• Before making religious comments, please consider that the beliefs of the recipient are unknown.
• Use simple and sincere language.
• Perhaps include whether your loved one was a registered donor, or if the decision to donate was made by the family at the time of their death.
• In closing, sign your first name only and do not reveal your address, phone number, email or other contact information.

On a separate piece of paper, include your full name, donor’s full name and the date of their donation so that we can correctly determine the recipient(s) of their gift - this information will not be included with your correspondence to the recipient(s).
Mail your correspondence and donor's information to:

Iowa Lions Eye Bank
Family Services Coordinator
BioVentures Center
2500 Crosspark Rd W300
Coralville, IA 52241

You may or may not receive a response from the recipient(s). Some recipients are too overwhelmed with emotion and may find it difficult to express their written thanks for such an incredible gift, given at the time of another family’s loss. The decision to write remains a personal decision for all recipients and donor families.

All correspondence is subject to editing by Iowa Lions Eye Bank in order to maintain confidentiality.