Our Journey in Celebrating Donor Generosity

In 1993, I began my career as an organ and tissue donation coordinator, meeting with families to discuss donation at the time of a loved one's death. At that time, communication between recipients and donor families was either discouraged or entirely forbidden. But, as a caregiver to bereaved donor families, I knew that the gratitude of recipients would bring them peace in knowing their decision to donate had touched and changed lives.

Several years later, while working for a tissue bank, I had the opportunity to develop a system to connect recipients of donated bone and ligaments with their donors' families. Up until that time, tissue donor families knew nothing of what had happened to their loved ones' gifts. This first attempt at making that connection was launched on Valentine's Day 2003. Ultimately it became the Pathways program, and has generated tens of thousands of letters through partnerships with multiple tissue banks since then.

I am grateful to the early supporters who joined with me in this pioneering effort. It was a leap of faith that now restores faith in the genuine goodness of those who give and the gratitude of those who receive.

Thank you for your interest and your participation.

Blessings,

Cyndie