ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the donor family members' appraisal of the most stressful situations experienced from losing a loved one and from consenting to organ/tissue donation. It explains the type of coping strategies used to manage these sources of stress and the impact of organ donation on their grief. The most stressful situations that family members identified in response to the unexpected event centred around two main issues: the processes of organ donation and the loss of a loved one. Evidence shows that the health professionals' reluctance to approach and discuss organ donation with grieving families is often related to their fear of adding to their grief. All family members experienced a combination of intense grief emotions such as loneliness, hurt, fear, guilt, numbness as they attempted to deal with the loss of the loved one. Although, consenting to organ donation was undoubtedly perceived as a positive experience, the extent to which organ donation helped family members with the grief varied.
