The experience of donating bone marrow to a relative.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and understand the experience of donating bone marrow to a relative.


METHODS
Exploratory, descriptive, and qualitative.


METHODS
An urban comprehensive cancer center.


METHODS
Twelve donors were interviewed--eight women and four men. The average age was 47, and the average length of time since donation was nine months. At the time of the interview, seven recipients were living and five had died.


METHODS
Open-ended, face-to-face, or telephone interviews were conducted within one year of bone marrow donation using an interview guide.


METHODS
Psychosocial consequences of donating bone marrow to a relative.


RESULTS
The main theme was Doing What It Takes When a Family Member Has Cancer. This goal guided the decision-making process, psychological responses, and family relationships once transplantation was necessary. Six subthemes emerged: Dealing With the Donation Procedure, Informational Needs, Psychological Impact of the Donor Role, Managing Family Relationships, Monitoring One's Own Health Before Donation, and Adjusting to the Transplant Recipient's Medical Condition.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects expressed little or no reluctance to donate bone marrow, and all would repeat the experience. Subjects felt deep personal satisfaction and gratitude for an opportunity to donate. Stressful aspects of the experience related to unanticipated pain after the procedure, negative transplant outcomes, and relationships with the bone marrow recipients' family.


CONCLUSIONS
Predonation assessment should identify donors' need for information as well as types and sources of information, how donors and families have coped with previous crises, and discussions of potential negative transplantation outcomes and impact on donors. Donors' coping and adjustment should be monitored throughout the transplantation process, particularly when coping problems or potential problems are identified or with negative transplantation outcomes. Formal donor support programs should be considered.
Christopher
K A
KA
College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, USA. kchris524@aol.com
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009511:New England; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology*