Joy–sorrow |
Joy: Immediately after transplant, recipients typically
experienced euphoria and relief. |
Sorrow: Acknowledging that a premature death has left
another family grieving contributed to sorrow. |
Gratitude–indebtedness |
Gratitude was experienced towards the donor and their
family. |
Indebtedness: Recipients often felt the need to somehow
‘repay’ the ‘gift’. |
Guilt–innocence |
Guilt: Recipients found it hard to reconcile their hope for
an organ being linked to someone else dying. |
Innocence: Randomness involved in donation–transplantation
implied that they are not responsible for the death. |
Inequity–equilibrium |
Inequity: Recipients reported that they saw it as unfair
that someone had to die for another to live. |
Equilibrium: Some recipients signed a donor card or behaved
in a generous and helpful way themselves. |
Influence–identification |
Influence: Some denied changes, while others wondered
whether the donor’s organ influenced them. |
Identification: Recipients accepted changes in their
identity post-transplant without feeling threatened. |