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“I’m not quite sure how to put into words the appreciation, blessing, and gratitude I have at such a moment — feelings I now have the ability to direct to those that can accept them,” wrote Tim Kubinak, a Suffolk resident who was the recipient of an ACL tissue graph earlier this year.

Kubinak wrote this statement in a letter to the family of the tissue donor, an opportunity made possible by LifeNet Health’s Thanks2You program. 

LifeNet Health (LNH) is a Virginia nonprofit organ procurement organization offering organ, cellular, and tissue transplant services. Senior Manager for National Donor Family Services Debbie Hutt said LNH also conducts their own research and is a leader in the field of regenerative medicine. 

“And through all of this, we always, always honor the donors, the health care professionals and the scientists who enable the healing process,” she said. “Also at the core of who we support are our donor families, because without them, we would not be able to fulfill our mission.”

Established in 2006, the Thanks2You program helps LNH achieve this by allowing any organ or tissue recipient to write a letter of gratitude to the donor’s family. 

The first month and a half of the program, Hutt said they received two letters. Last year, they received over 3,400 letters. 

Kubinak was one recipient who did take advantage of the opportunity to write a letter:

“On Thursday, 2/6/2025, I was the recipient of an allograft ACL (R Knee), after a significant ski injury. This is the second time I have benefited in such a way – 15 years ago, before such recognition programs existed, I had the same procedure on my L Knee.

I’m not quite sure how to put into words the appreciation, blessing, and gratitude I have at such a moment – feelings I now have the ability to direct to those that can accept them.

As a father of three active boys, a coach who loves to model what is to be done on the soccer pitch, and one who loves to stay active throughout life, this opportunity enables me to continue on – after the requisite PT, of course!

I am committed to becoming an organ and tissue donor, as it enables me to pay this blessing in some way. With the condition of my knees at present, our nearest medical school will have quite a case study to explore; with the rest of this body in reasonable shape, I hope it will be of benefit to others, as I have been blessed.”

Kubinak was excited for the chance to write, he said, especially because he had been through the same surgery twice prior. 

“I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude to somebody for the opportunity to be able to get back on my feet again,” he said. “And it was a fun experience. I really enjoyed it.”

Hutt said the Thanks2You program has led to families further connecting and meeting in person. It’s not very often, but there are times when an organ donor family will respond to a letter, she said.

She emphasized the importance of tissue recipients writing letters to the donor’s family, because it’s impossible for tissue donors to know who ended up with their donation. Organ donors can initiate contact because it’s easy to identify where an organ goes. With tissue graphs, Hutt said a few can be sent to one hospital, but from there, it’s difficult to identify further details.  

“We really do have to rely on them to write first, and that’s frustrating for families,” Hutt said. “Not every tissue recipient understands that it’s a donated gift.”

Most of the letters they receive are from ACL tissue recipients, Hutt said. She said this could be because it’s more commonly known that an ACL repair requires donated tissue. 

She added they may feel more compelled to write a letter because of how life-changing an ACL repair can be, like it was for Kubinak.

Kubinak said no matter what the donation is, he strongly encourages people to participate in the Thanks2You program. 

“I think anytime where you’re able to provide feedback to somebody, even if it’s not a two way conversation, I just think there’s something to be said about being able to provide someone a blessing and provide some level of gratitude to that,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what to say when given that card, and having that card in my hand, I just kind of let my finger do the talking. And you know, hopefully it provides some comfort and reassurance to the family that gave that donation.”

Hutt added that with more tissues being donated for research, the LNH research team wanted to make sure those families could also receive thank you letters.

“They will write a letter that we then forward to the donor family, letting them know how their loved one has had an impact on the world,” she said. “Because the legacy with research, you know, it’s not just helping one person, it’s helping an unforeseen number of people.”

With April being Donate Life Month, Hutt said registering to be an organ, tissue, and eye donor is “critically important.” She said two Virginians die a week waiting for an organ.

She also encouraged people to talk with their family members about possible organ or tissue donations after they die because it can relieve immense amounts of stress in the moment when a decision has to be made.

The most-needed organs are a kidney, which a living donor can provide, and the liver. 

“The letters that go to our recovery partners, they’re just thrilled that somebody’s thinking of the family, somebody’s thinking of their healing journey,” Hutt said. “Because Thanks2You letters really are gold. And I think if everyone understood with a donated gift that it’s not just something that grows on a tree, it is a true act of compassion to donate.”