Giving as repaying: towards an embodied ethics of living donor liver transplantation

Abstract

This article explores the lived experiences and ethical complexities of the decision- and meaning-making journey involved in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) through a case study of a young adult who donated part of his liver to his father. Utilising embodied phenomenology and narrative analysis, we present an in-depth exploration of personal stories and interconnected narratives that reveal the intricate layers and nuances inherent in child-to-parent LDLT within the Taiwanese sociocultural milieu. This study examines the embodied, relational, temporal and normative dimensions through a dynamic, iterative process of careful reading and analysis, from which four plotlines emerged [(1) indebtedness, (2) thrownness, (3) struggle for selfhood and (4) family seniority] along with a postscript. The findings illuminate the complex interplay of body, self, family, intergenerational dynamics and sociocultural norms throughout the decision-making process. The analysis aims to lay the groundwork for a refined framework for understanding concepts such as giving, relationality, agency, temporality and normativity within bioethical discourses on organ transplantation. Furthermore, the study offers insights for healthcare professionals to develop culturally sensitive approaches in LDLT care ethics and practice, with particular attention to vulnerability, relational autonomy and embodied intersubjectivity as normative foundations.