Chance at Life provides a portal into the lives of dialysis unit ‘regulars,’ both patients and staff. Together they confront life’s limitations and its certain end, with unique stories of struggle, hope, and resilience.

Rachel is a novice nurse whose well-intentioned choices put her career in jeopardy. Her personal life disintegrates when she discovers that she is pregnant, and her fiancé abuses her.

Kidney failure derailed Darnell’s career path. He waits in vain for a transplant, losing hope as long days on dialysis consume his future.

Elizabeth, a seasoned nurse practitioner, faces her own failing kidneys and decides to refuse dialysis, planning to let nature take its course—though her daughters and her doctor won’t let her go so easily.

The dialysis unit is a high-stakes cauldron of conflicts and ethical dilemmas. A machine malfunction claims one patient’s life, another patient buys a black-market kidney, and another patient withdraws from dialysis entirely, throwing herself a “goodbye” party. COVID-19 arrives, bringing an entirely new dimension to the daily dramas.

Chance at Life is a gripping, poignant exploration of the human spirit and the unforeseen connections that form in the most trying of circumstances, perfect for those who appreciate medical dramas filled with real-world challenges and heartfelt storytelling.

Susan Ellison Busch is a nurse practitioner with many years of experience caring for patients with kidney disease. She has taught nurse practitioner students as faculty at Kent State University. She has spoken at national conferences on topics related to kidney disease and also about 22q.11 Deletion syndrome. Her first book, Yearning for Normal, is a memoir about raising a son with 22q.11 Deletion syndrome is a Reader’s Favorite Book Award Winner. She is the mother of three grown sons. Susan lives with her husband on the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys the trees and the sky, hiking, and playing tennis.