Narratives of Donors Who Lost Their Siblings in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract

 This study illustrated the narrative personal stories of three sibling donors of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). We recapitulated data from semi-structured interviews conducted by using the life-story method, and we analyzed psychological influences which the sibling donors had on their families in terms of the family system theory. Donor A (30s, male) donated to his sister with acute leukemia. Through the process of transplantation, donor A and his sister became aware of the power balance between them, which influenced to their parent`s emotional attitude. Donor B (40s, male) donated to his brother with acute leukemia. The awareness of blood ties in turn raised his anxiety of the risk of leukemia in Donor B and his children. Donor C (60s, female), the youngest of 4 sisters, donated to her sister with malignant lymphoma. The strength of the emotional bond among the 4 sisters was maintained and reinforced even after the death of the patient. Collectively, these analyses suggest that sibling donor HSCT has an influence on the whole family relationships as well as those among the involved siblings, which warrants the need for sustainable family support before and after HSCT.