Picture of health: An artist’s journey through disease as told in his photographs

Abstract

Abstract This is a phenomenological study of a photographer who used his artistic sensibilities to deal with a life-threatening illness, which became a life-changing journey. As J. was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, knew he would die if he did not get a new liver, waited for that liver, went through the transplant surgery and subsequent surgeries, and recovered, he chronicled the entire journey with photographs. When diagnosed with a terminal illness, J. faced mortality and went through stages of grief and loss, as well as experiencing trauma, and used his photography to cope with this. J. also went through a process of transformation, whereby the patient moves through a five-stage trajectory of receiving the transplant, improving in hospital, improving at home, feeling well again, and reciprocating. J. continues on that journey with a commitment to health and life. Literature is reviewed regarding the stages of grief, loss, trauma and emotional state of transplant patients.