Overview

Chance At Life (80,000 words), is upmarket fiction in the setting of a chronic dialysis unit where patients and staff struggle with life's limitations and their own mortality, featuring a machine malfunction that kills a patient, a black-market kidney transplant, and a patient who decides to withdraw from dialysis and throws herself a going away party. Although this novel can stand alone, it has series potential. The target audience includes readers who enjoy inspirational stories about people thriving amid adversity. The story is told through the viewpoints of three characters-young nurse Rachel, her mentor, Elizabeth, and dialysis patient Darnell. After Rachel drives a weary Darnell home post-treatment, (a risky violation of clinical judgement and professional boundaries) and then holds a dying patient's hand, instead of starting CPR, she has put her beloved career in jeopardy. The techs she supervises despise her, and she wonders if she's cut out to be a nurse. Her personal life disintegrates when she discovers that she is pregnant, and her fiancé hits her when she refuses to get an abortion. She moves out, and begins a friendship-turned-romance with Darnell. After her mentor, Elizabeth, discloses her own kidneys are failing, the two discuss the merits of rejecting dialysis in exchange for a dignified death. When Darnell is beat by police, and hospitalized, he endures a near death experience in the ICU. His bond with Rachel grows stronger after she suffers a miscarriage. After growing angry about Elizabeth's decision to forego dialysis, her friend and nephrologist, Max, breaches confidentiality laws and informs her daughters, who talk her into accepting dialysis as an option. Subsequently, she and Max form a romantic relationship, and agree to live out as many years as they can together. After Darnell's beloved, but troubled brother, is shot and killed, Rachel convinces him to accept his brother's kidney. The two couples thrive and grow, finally happy, among the raging Covid pandemic lockdown of 2020.

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Reviews

Chance at Life is a poignant narrative that effectively intertwines medical education with personal storytelling, making complex topics, such as dialysis, systemic racism in healthcare, domestic abuse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and unplanned pregnancy, accessible and relatable. By sharing individual patient stories, Busch fosters empathy and understanding. Through characters like Rachel, who grapples with love, faith, and emotional connections, the book highlights the human aspect of healthcare challenges. Doreen Chamber for Reader's Favorite The character development is exceptional. Each character is fully realized and adds to a deeper understanding of the shared human experience. Susan Ellison Busch's writing is outstanding, highlighting the drama of the clinic alongside quiet moments of personal reflection. Carol Thompson A deep exploration of human emotion-as much about grief and depression as it is about joy, friendship, and love Chelsey Tucker, Independent book review

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