Treating Families of Bone Marrow Recipients and Donors

Leukemia and aplastic anemia are beginning to be treated by bone marrow transplants, involving donors and recipients from the same family. Such intimate involvement in the patients life and death struggles typically produces a family crisis and frequent maladaptive responses by various family members. A crisis-focused family therapy approach is described which helps all members, including the hospitalized victim, develop adaptive coping strategies, and learn to deal realistically with expectations while maintaining hope. Physicians, too, must retain their reality-orientation while holding onto hope. Two case histories illustrate common sources of family dysfunction and techniques of intervention through family therapy.