The book of Jesse is the poignant story of a boy’s death from cirrhosis and liver failure, after having endured two liver transplants. It
is written by Jessie’s father, a medical sociologist. It is a very moving story. For health care professionals working in palliative care, it provides some insight into grief reactions, the psychological
mechanisms of coping with serious illness, and the need for good communication between carers and the patient and family. And perhaps the need for a little more of the palliative care approach
("You must hope for the best, but we must also plan for the worst") in high technology environments like liver transplant units.
Roger Woodruff
Director of Palliative Care, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia
(July 2003)
Author Information
Michael Rowe is Associate Clinical Professor of Sociology in the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut,
USA
