Nathan’s Letter to his Organ Donor Family

Nathan after his liver transplant for PSC

Nathan, 36, from Pwllheli in Wales, was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease and went on to have a stoma fitted when he was 16 years old. He was then diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in 2007.

Nathan was placed on the transplant waiting list for a new liver in early December, 2016, and received it in 2017.

Letter to Organ Donor Family

Nathan has since written a letter to thank the family of his organ donor, which he has shared in a video with Wales Online. Here is the video with kind permission from Nathan and Organ Donation Wales:

In English

Nathan, 36, from Pwllheli in Wales, was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease and PSC when he was a teenager. He had a liver transplant because of his PSC in 2017.

This is the letter he wrote to thank the family of his organ donor.

Yn Gymraeg

Pan yn ei arddegau, derbyniodd Nathan, 36, o Bwllheli yng Nghymru ddiagnosis o glefyd llid y coluddyn a PSC. Derbyniodd drawsblaniad afu oherwydd y PSC yn 2017.

Dyma'r llythyr a ysgrifennodd i ddiolch i deulu'r unigolyn a roddodd yr organ.

Writing a letter to your donor family is an emotional, sometimes overwhelming aspect of liver transplantation. No one has to write a letter, although it is encouraged, but there is no prescribed way to do it. If you someone chooses to write to their donor family, the letter is then passed to the family via the transplant coordinator to preserve and respect everyone's privacy.

We thank Nathan for sharing his story and expressing how much the gift of life he was given means to him.

More about transplant and your donor

If you want to donate your organs, it's important to talk about your decision with friends and family so they are aware of your wishes at the end of your life. For more information on organ donation in Welsh, visit the Organ Donation website for Wales.