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Is there a choice when a sibling is ill? Experiences of children and adolescents who donated stem cells to a sibling

Rinaldo, Carina ; Stenmarker, Margaretha ; Frost, Britt Marie ; Øra, Ingrid LU and Pergert, Pernilla (2022) In European Journal of Oncology Nursing 58.
Abstract

Purpose: When healthy children/adolescents are potential stem cell donors to a sibling, ethical questions arise due to reduced autonomy and dependency on their family. This study aimed to explore the experiences of children/adolescents in Sweden who donated stem cells to a severely ill sibling. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen donors, aged 6–17 years at the time of the donation, all with surviving siblings. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The main category in this study was The presumed ‘choice’ when a sibling is ill. The experience included being Proud without an actual choice, highlights that the donors were proud to contribute, and... (More)

Purpose: When healthy children/adolescents are potential stem cell donors to a sibling, ethical questions arise due to reduced autonomy and dependency on their family. This study aimed to explore the experiences of children/adolescents in Sweden who donated stem cells to a severely ill sibling. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen donors, aged 6–17 years at the time of the donation, all with surviving siblings. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The main category in this study was The presumed ‘choice’ when a sibling is ill. The experience included being Proud without an actual choice, highlights that the donors were proud to contribute, and perceptions of a request without a choice. Focusing on the ill sibling and the outcomes reveals that they were worried and protected the sibling, and downplayed the importance of their own effort. They experienced a Need of support and information, which derived from receiving information without communication about what they really needed to know, but also the importance of support through play and talk. Conclusion: The donation involves the young donor in the care, implying an opportunity to bring the family back together. They have no real choice, when their sibling is ill and the lack of information about possible alternatives indicate that there was no option to decline. There is also a need to focus on the experiences of young donors whose siblings died after the transplantation.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adolescent, Child, Decision-making, Donor, Experience, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Qualitative research
in
European Journal of Oncology Nursing
volume
58
article number
102147
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85130393264
  • pmid:35597111
ISSN
1462-3889
DOI
10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102147
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6db828e1-fc15-4add-b3ef-2f184464eabd
date added to LUP
2022-08-24 13:08:41
date last changed
2024-06-23 13:54:28
@article{6db828e1-fc15-4add-b3ef-2f184464eabd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose: When healthy children/adolescents are potential stem cell donors to a sibling, ethical questions arise due to reduced autonomy and dependency on their family. This study aimed to explore the experiences of children/adolescents in Sweden who donated stem cells to a severely ill sibling. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen donors, aged 6–17 years at the time of the donation, all with surviving siblings. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The main category in this study was The presumed ‘choice’ when a sibling is ill. The experience included being Proud without an actual choice, highlights that the donors were proud to contribute, and perceptions of a request without a choice. Focusing on the ill sibling and the outcomes reveals that they were worried and protected the sibling, and downplayed the importance of their own effort. They experienced a Need of support and information, which derived from receiving information without communication about what they really needed to know, but also the importance of support through play and talk. Conclusion: The donation involves the young donor in the care, implying an opportunity to bring the family back together. They have no real choice, when their sibling is ill and the lack of information about possible alternatives indicate that there was no option to decline. There is also a need to focus on the experiences of young donors whose siblings died after the transplantation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rinaldo, Carina and Stenmarker, Margaretha and Frost, Britt Marie and Øra, Ingrid and Pergert, Pernilla}},
  issn         = {{1462-3889}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescent; Child; Decision-making; Donor; Experience; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Qualitative research}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Oncology Nursing}},
  title        = {{Is there a choice when a sibling is ill? Experiences of children and adolescents who donated stem cells to a sibling}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102147}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102147}},
  volume       = {{58}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}