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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2020; 41(04): 562
DOI: 10.4103/ijmpo.ijmpo_261_20
Oncology Beyond Science

The Quandary of a Healthy (Child) Sibling Stem Cell Donor

Manish Raturi
Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
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Abstract

Feelings of abandonment in a healthy (child) sibling donor (HSD) merit ethical consideration; more so, when he is needed to undergo a minimally risky, yet painful, procedure of stem cell donation (SCD) for the benefit of his ill sibling (child suffering from blood cancer). The varied feelings of the HSD undergoing SCD procedure are being presented in the form of a poem.


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Keywords

Clinical ethics - matched sibling donor - pediatric cancer patient - stem cell transplantation patient

When safeguards are no more in place,

Leaving all three of us feeling vulnerable and outpaced.…

When salutations have lost their hold and emotions are raging high,

Left only to the mercy of chance, we await a miraculous embrace…

Although ethically complex and emotionally intriguing,

Being your donor sibling is truly “overwhelming”….

Believe me! It will go a long way to improve our bond,

My heart feels deeply compelled, to enable you “happily” live long…

Have faith in me, Oh kin! 'Cause I am determined to help you,

Hold your vehement outcry, but a bit long…

The sun shall dawn once more on this dismal night,

And bring us hope, yet again to stay strong[1]…

Propelling myself ahead, by the love for you,

Here I am, donating my stem cells anew[2]…

Just a few moments ago, I saw mom's heart shatter into pieces like glass,

And heard her crying aloud, “feeling sad; feeling blue”…

Move close to me, my brother, come near,

'Cause I wish to whisper something in your ear…

At first, I imagined I was “apparently” abandoned by her,

Mom's love for me seemed, as if it had entirely disappeared…

With “waves of rejection,” I felt restless with a qualm,

Throwing me into a quandary, that wouldn't let me stay calm…

I thought “sickness” was a blessing and “being healthy” a heinous crime,

Luckily, “motivation to help you” became my healing balm…

My fondness for you, merits bearing a little pain,

Its minuscule, as of now, against so much more to gain…

As your donor sibling, I'd be better off in a joyous family of us three,

Than in a distressed one, if we were to lose you in vain.


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Conflict of Interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgment

The author would like to gratefully thank Mr. Samrat Chauhan, Senior Consultant and Facilitator, Pegasus Academy, Dehradun, for his review of the poem and helpful suggestions.


Address for correspondence

Dr. Manish Raturi
Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University
Swami Ram Nagar, Jolly Grant, Dehradun - 248 016, Uttarakhand
India   

Publication History

Received: 27 May 2020

Accepted: 10 June 2020

Article published online:
17 May 2021

© 2020. Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)

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