The Mothers of Organ Donors program is a unique facet of CDT’s services. Founded in 1997, the group is comprised of mothers who have lost a child and made the decision to donate the gift of life. These women now serve as volunteers who provide support to families in a situation similar to their own. They may bring the family coffee, assist in making phone calls to loved ones, or simply hold a hand and listen.

The MOD Squad brings a special kind of peer support to families in crisis, based on the following core values:

• Respect for each family’s choice
• Respect for a family’s religious and cultural beliefs
• Respect for the principle to do no harm
• Respect for each family’s right to confidentiality

MOD Squad mothers go to families as bereaved parents, offering comfort and peer support in a time of crisis. Volunteers include teachers, retired grandmothers, business women, home-makers, health-care workers – women from all walks of life who have faced the death of a child. Their own experience makes them uniquely qualified to console, to offer information, and to help in any way possible; they truly understand what the family is going through. The MOD Squad member’s primary goal is to ensure that families are supported appropriately in their decision making process, no matter what they choose. MOD Squad members are carefully screened and trained to provide emotional support, education and general assistance.