Many transplant recipients want to know more about their donor and may want to express gratitude for the donation of their new heart. A protocol for contacting your donor's family has been created in order to protect each party's safety and privacy. Respect for the privacy of your donor's family also impacts the ability of medical personnel to provide details about your donor. To give everyone some time to adjust, we recommend waiting six months to a year before contacting your donor family through a letter. Guidance on composing a letter to your donor family can be found on the Transplant Living website. When you finish writing your first letter you will give that letter to your heart transplant social worker who will review it and send it on to the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). The OPO will then make your letter available to your donor's family.