The Ripple Effect: Aftercare Support

Every part of me believes that when remarkable support is provided to a donor family there is a natural ripple effect that gives them hope and healing on the grief journey. As the manager of the Aftercare Support team at Indiana Donor Network, my primary focus each day is to support donor families by connecting them with grief support resources that fit their needs, along with providing donation education and celebrating their loved one’s gift. It is truly a privilege to walk alongside people who are grieving, and to be a source of comfort, hope, healing and compassion in their lives.  Although this is my job, it is far from “work” for me.  It is a passion for helping people who are in pain. For many people, it is the first time they have experienced the death of a loved one. Meaning we have an opportunity, and I believe an obligation, to serve well and companion hurting people through their grief journey so that they begin to heal – all while remembering their loved one in a healthy way.  If families are treated with compassion and respect, they will have the tools they need to understand their grief and ultimately what they are experiencing. The Aftercare Support Program has a ripple effect within the grief community. This happens when donor families share the grief support resources with their family and friends. Recently, I received a call from a grateful donor’s wife who had just received her anniversary support material in the mail.  The purpose of this support mailing is to help families make a plan for how they are going to spend the first anniversary of their loved one’s death, as this can be a very difficult time.  (Learn more about coping with milestone grief) The donor’s wife called to ask if I could send two more anniversary care notes to her. She hoped to give them to her two best friends whose husbands also died and were approaching the one-year anniversaries. She wanted to pay it forward by supporting her friends through their journeys, too. It is my goal every day to care for and support families in ways that best fit their needs.  One of those ways is through the Aftercare Support program, which gives families access to grief support and donation education resources.  If you are a donor family and would like to learn more about our Aftercare Support Program, please email us aftercare@indonornetwork.org or visit https://162.240.55.4/resources/donor-families/.