Letters of Thanks: A Simple Idea to Encourage More Organ Donors in South Korea

In South Korea, there's a big need for more organ donors. People are looking for new ways to encourage donations. One idea is to share letters of thanks from those who received organs. These letters could show the impact of donation on people's lives.

Research Findings

Researchers looked at 98 letters from organ recipients on the Korean Organ Donation Agency's website. They found that:

• Before getting an organ, people felt hopeless and sad.
• During the transplant, they still felt hopeless but not as sad.
• After the transplant, they felt grateful, happy, and sometimes guilty.

Key Insights

• The letters often called donors heroes.
• They rarely mentioned religion, which challenges the belief that religion stops organ donation in East Asia.

Potential Impact

Right now, these letters aren't shared with the public. But they could be a powerful tool to encourage more people to donate organs. Seeing how donations change lives might inspire others to sign up.

This idea is simple but could have a big impact. It's worth considering how to use these letters to boost organ donation rates.