Traditionally, bereavement care for families of children who have died is provided for parents and siblings. Literature review revealed that grandparents' bereavement has barely been studied or reported. The aim of this study is to examine the special characteristics, needs, and grief coping strategies of this population. A qualitative case study of a group of grandparents of children who had died from oncological diseases was conducted. The group met for 9 months. The method of data collection was observation and recording. The group discussions raised a variety of themes, some common to other grief groups and some unique to grandparents. The themes unique to grandparents dealt with issues such as the legitimacy of their grief, their pained relationship with their children, and the specific meaning of this loss at old age. Based on our findings, a model of three concentric circles is suggested. (1) The personal level deals with effects on grief of advanced age, closeness to one's own death, and other losses in life. (2) The family circle focuses on the dynamics of the three-generation-family and the role of the grandparents. (3) The culture circle relates to the questions of the ''place'' of grandparents' bereavement: where, how, when, and with whom do grandparents experience and express their grief.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is widely used for treatment of various life-threatening pediatric diseases. It is an intensive process that psychologically affects the whole family. Pediatric donors represent a very unique, underreported, group. The aim of this study is to investigate the sibling donors' and their parents' perspective on the donation process. The cohort included 36 sibling donors and 50 parents of pediatric patients who underwent allogeneic SCT between 1995 and 2010 and were alive at the time of the study. Mean age at donation was 14.78±8.350 years in donors' group and 8.22±4.639 years in parents' group. Data were collected by anonymous questionnaires. Three psychological dimensions were analyzed: donors' personal perspective; donor-recipient interpersonal relationship and the influence of the donation on the family unit. Results showed that the donors experienced a wide range of complex emotional responses, positive and negative, whereas the parents' responses were mainly positive and less complex. This study presents both the sibling donor's and parents' perspective, giving a more complete picture of the donation process within the family. The effects of this intense experience of SCT has a long-term impact on the whole family, indicating the need for follow-up and psychosocial support.

Purpose: An encounter between Palestinian parents of children with cancer and Israeli medical staff is a very special situation where "potential enemies" interact in a caring, trusting and intimate relationship for long periods of time. Our aim was to study the psychological and cultural encounter in order to understand the dynamics involved. Method:The study is a qualitative one. Data was collected by way of structured in-depth interviews. Participants were physicians and nurses employed in the department, and Palestinian parents accompanying their children who were hospitalized during the research period. Conclusion:The interviews depict a poignant picture of the unique encounter between Israeli Doctors and nurses and Palestinian parents. The psychological mechanism used by parents and doctors is "splitting"-having a dichotomized, simple emotional-perceptual picture of a situation with no confl icts. Nurses use another psychological mechanism in addition which enables them to contain the paradox and the confl ict.