Stem Cell Transplantations Between Siblings as Social Phenomena

This open access book offers insights in short- and long-term experiences from families with bone marrow transplantations between minor siblings. It is based on the first extended qualitative study with 17 families about experiences with recent transplants and experiences with transplants up to 20 years in the past. It covers reflections of donors, recipients and other family members, as well as family interactions. Transplantation of bone marrow from one sibling to another who is ill with a blood cancer (such as Leukemia) is a life-saving therapy. Young children however are not in a position to give consent themselves. How should they be adequately included, depending to their age? Which ethical questions are raised for the parents both at the time of treatment and afterwards, and for the medical professionals in clinical and regulatory contexts? For an in-depth discussion of the findings the books brings together a group of leading scholars from the fields of bioethics,family sociology and philosophy of medicine.

The first book to cover experiences of bone marrow transplantations between siblings as children

Chapter 1. The child's body and bone marrow transplantation. Introduction (Christina Schües).- Chapter 2. A donor by chance or by conception - My Sister's Keeper reconsidered (Christoph Rehmann-Sutter).- Chapter 3. Dimensions and tensions of the child's well-being and stem cell transplantation. A conceptual analysis (Christina Schües).- Part 1. Mapping responsibilities.- Chapter 4. Introduction: Topic I (Martina Jürgensen).- Chapter 5. Mediating the risks of mutual care. Families and the ethical challenges of sibling bone marrow donation (Claudia Wiesemann).- Chapter 6. Responsibility, care and illness in family relationships(Jutta Ecarius).- Part 2. Dealing with illness.- Chapter 7. Introduction: Topic II (Martina Jürgensen).- Chapter 8. Illness within the Family (Amy Mullin).- Chapter 9. Dwelling on the past: Illness, transplantation and families' responsibilities in retrospect (Christoph Rehmann-Sutter).- Part 3. Processes of decision making.- Chapter 10. Introduction: Topic III(Martina Jürgensen).- Chapter 11. Deciding about child bone marrow donation - Procedural moral pitfalls (Tim Henning).- Chapter 12. A Decision-Making Approach for Children to Ethically Serve as Stem Cell Donors (Lainie Friedman Ross).- Part 4. Constructing familial bodies.- Chapter 13. Introduction: Topic IV (Martina Jürgensen).- Chapter 14. Stem cell transplantation, microchimerism and assemblages (Margrit Shildrick).- Chapter 15. Intercorporeality - giving life from one body to another (Christina Schües).- Chapter 16. Open questions (Christoph Rehmann-Sutter).