INTRODUCTION: To understand implications of the chronic disease for the child and his/her family it must be consider that the chronic disease can not be cured and that this cure may turn into a dangerous myth, involving the child’s development process. AIM: To understand the meaning that renal transplantation has for those children in dyalitic treatment and to know their expectations regarding this treatment. METHOD: This is a qualitative study using as an investigation method a Case Study and the Mayeroff’s philosophical referential. The techniques used to collect data were semi-structured interviews and the subject was the Design-Story. 15 children who gave their consent to take part of this research, with ages ranging from 6 to 16 years were interviewed and submitted to a dialytic and hemodialytic treatment. RESULTS: Four categories emerged from the semi-structured questions and after using the content analysis technique according to categories: building the knowledge on transplantation; searching to understand the wait for transplant; creating expectation on the transition; being in contact with frustration. Based on the design-story we had a category: unveiling feelings by means of the draw. In this study, we will show the results regarding the semi-structures questions emerged from the individual’s speech. CONCLUSION: This study allowed us to understand that children realize the renal transplant as the only possibility to have their lives back to normal.
Child; Kidney transplantation; Pediatric nursing; Kidney failure