Living Now: Ways to give back after transplant
After having a transplant, some people look for ways to help others in order to give meaning to their experience or show appreciation for all of the support they got throughout their journey. One of the ways you can help others is by sharing your transplant experience and insights with people who are going through the transplant process.
If helping other transplant patients is something you’d like to do, there are many ways for you to get involved.
Join a support group: Even if you don’t feel like you need a support group anymore, hearing about your experience may help newcomers. For example, we host monthly telephone chats for transplant recipients, where transplant recipient volunteers help facilitate the conversations. To join a free telephone support group, call 1 (888) 999-6743 or email patientinfo@nmdp.org.
Share your story: Whether one-on-one, through a news story, online or through a publication like this one, your story can make a difference to others by providing hope and advice. If you're a donor, patient, transplant recipient or NMDP supporter who would like to share your story with us and others in the community, fill out our Publicity Consent Form.
Make a gift to NMDPSM: We use financial donations to help add more people to the NMDP Registry®, support patients with financial grants and fund transplant research. Visit nmdp.org to learn more.
Review patient education materials: As a transplant recipient, you’re in a unique position to know the kind of information that may be helpful to someone going through the transplant process. We offer transplant recipients the opportunity to volunteer as an education and research reviewer. Fill out a bio and we’ll reach out to you.
Do what’s right for you
Giving back and helping others can be rewarding. However, it’s important to recognize your limits and know that it’s okay to say “no thanks” or “next time.”
People who find themselves in high demand as speakers, honored guests and frequent volunteers may feel guilty turning down requests. If you feel this way, keep your priorities in mind, maintain good boundaries and don’t feel guilty doing what is right for you.
It’s okay to say no
Some people want to share their story or help people in other ways after transplant. But many others prefer to leave their transplant experience behind, and that’s normal and alright too. You need to follow the path that feels right to you. The choice is yours—and either choice is okay.