A trainee doctor from Philadelphia has described the emotional moment she received a letter from the family of the woman whose heart saved her life. Alin Gragossian, 31, said she burst into tears upon reading about the 'vibrant' young donor, realising they had much in common.
'We were just two young women laying in different intensive care units, waiting to see who would die first,' she reflected. Alin, who works in emergency medicine and specialises in intensive care, had previously written to the donor's family but had no way of knowing if they received her message.
In the US, information about an organ donor is only released to the recipient if the donor's family requests or agrees to contact. With no direct way to reach them, Alin posted a public reply on her blog, expressing gratitude and acknowledging the strange twist of fate that connected them.
Lynette Hazzard from Nevada, whose son Justen died aged 28, has written to the four recipients of his organs. She said it took months to find the words, but knowing her son has helped others keeps his memory alive. 'I hope that each recipient never takes a moment in their life for granted,' she said.
