Thank you letter from recipient of Mary’s tissue donation

We were surprised and overwhelmed and grateful to receive a letter from the Georgia Regents Tissue Donors Services today. They were letting us know that they had received a card from one of the many recipients of Mary’s donated tissues. She was thanking us for the gift which was given to her.

This is what her letter said:

April 16, 2015

Dear Donor Family,

I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am about the loss of your loved one and how grateful I am to receive the beautiful gift of their tissue. This gift means a lot to me because it will allow me to continue the activities that I love and that make my life meaningful. I injured my knee skiing, which is one of our favorite family activities.

The tissue I received replaced my ACL so that I can ski and hike again. These activities are very important to me and my family because we once shared them with our older son who was killed in a car accident while he was attending college. He was not a donor, but the other boy killed in the same accident was a donor, and we learned about the importance of this program through his generous gifts.

We understand how difficult it is to lose a beloved member of the family and thank you again for honoring their wishes at such a difficult time. Your family member and your family are in my thoughts and my hope is that you are able to find moments of peace and comfort, especially knowing how their death has made a positive impact on others’ lives.

Your loved one will always be part of me, just as my son will always be in my heart, and for that I will always be grateful.

Sincerely,

Christine

I hope that she is able to learn that it was Mary who gave her that gift and that she will come to know Mary through our recorded memories of her.

The letter which we received today from Georgia Regents Tissue Donor Services. . .