The Transplanter

By Jerry Zaslow

Michael Marston and Annette Marston were married for many years and had two adult children, Lauren and Bruce. Annette developed diabetes and ultimately required a kidney transplant to survive. In the middle of one night, Michael received a telephone call that a kidney had arrived for Annette at Midlantic Suburban Hospital. The family rushed to the hospital only to meet Dr. Chung Zhou who they never met before. Dr. Zhou performed the transplant surgery.

When Annette died from the transplant, Michael vowed to find out everything that happened.

The FBI and CIA become involved. As the CIA agents investigated abroad they found that murder was part of a world wide conspiracy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665534734

Jerry Zaslow

Jerry Zaslow has been an attorney since age twenty-three and practiced law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida, where he currently resides with his wife, Diane.

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© 2020 Jerry Zaslow. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/23/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3475-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3474-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3473-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021916219

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

Part I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Part II

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Part III

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Epilogue

About the Author

Questions for Consideration

To all those who suffer physical and mental ailments,

may science and medicine find a cure for you.

Thought-out history humans have been plagued

with various sickness and diseases.

Progress has been mede in the treatment of many of these ailments. There still remains a great deal of scientific exploration and testing to conquer these pathological conditions of mind and body. In all of this, where people are aware that they are suffering a malady, medical help should be sought and solutions adhered to as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, as time goes by, more unknown diseases

appear. In order to survive, doctors, scientists and people

must be on the lookout for unknown types of sickness. When

remedies are found to fight these afflictions, they should

not be resisted, especially when life is in the balance.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank my wife, Diane E. Zaslow, for the support and help she gave me while writing this book

Also, I thank my good friend Patti Lang for her editorial advice and assistance in reviewing this book.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thousands of people around the world are in need of organ transplants. Such need often appears when people develop diseases. Parts of this book are based on actual events.

PART I

CHAPTER 1

Bill Henderson entered his tenth-floor law office in the Commercial Trust Building on Market Street, in Philadelphia, at eight-thirty on Monday morning, just as his telephone was ringing. Since his secretary, Margaret, had not yet arrived, he impulsively picked up the receiver and answered, Law offices of Henderson, Bradley and Levine. May I help you?

Monday mornings in a law office are usually filled with telephone calls from people with problems that have festered over the preceding weekend, for which they feel they have to call a lawyer. For Bill, another week on the fast track was about to begin. He had a great deal of work to catch up on, and he did not, at this time, want to accept any more clients. His partners, Tim Bradley and Arnie Levine, were in a similar situation.

Is this Mr. Henderson? asked the caller.

Yes, it is.

Mr. Henderson, my name is Michael Marston. You do not know me, but I have heard of your firm. I am also an attorney.

As Marston continued speaking, Bill looked around his office at all the files, memos, telephone messages, open textbooks, and paperwork. Nonetheless, he felt that he had to listen to this caller.

Mr. Henderson, Marston said, my wife, Annette, died at six-thirty this morning. She was only fifty-seven years old and too young to die the way she did.

Bill’s interest in the caller perked up. Mr. Marston, I am truly sorry to hear this. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.

Thank you. As you can understand, I must make funeral arrangements and gather myself together. I would very much like to see you. I know that unusual and suspicious circumstances surrounded Annette’s death. She should not have died the way she did. I cannot talk to you anymore at this time. Please let me know if I can see you in about one week. If so, I would be very grateful.

Henry thought, Another case, another problem. Well, I guess it is the heart of my profession to help people in need, like Mr. Marston. He had a deep feeling of sincere sorrow for Mr. Marston as a fellow lawyer and wanted to help him. "Mr. Marston, would it be convenient for you to meet with me on Wednesday, November,30, at ten in the morning?

Yes, Mr. Henderson. That would be fine. I will come to your office at that time. Thank you so very much.

Thank you for calling me. I look forward to meeting you, and again, I extend my sympathy to you.

Just then, Margaret Wilson walked into the office and said, Good morning, Mr. Henderson. Did you have a nice weekend?

I did, Margaret. How about you?

Oh, yes. My husband and I went to a wedding in New York. It was a fabulous affair.

That’s nice. I guess we now have to get down to work again.

Right. May I get you a cup of coffee? You look a little tired.

Yes, please do that. By the way, is Jean in yet?

Yes, she is.

Bill picked up the intercom and said, Jean, when do you expect Mr. Bradley to arrive?

He is in court this morning, as the Addison case is still on trial. I imagine he will be here at lunchtime, if not sooner.

Thank you. Please let me know when he arrives.

Very well, Mr. Henderson.

Margaret came into Bill’s office with a large cup of coffee. She was in her thirties, very neat, about five foot three, well dressed, and pretty enough to make Bill more cheerful than he was. The two of them had been a good working team for about ten years, and they had an interdependence. Bill felt blessed to have her as his secretary.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee pervaded Bill’s office. It calmed him down and made him feel ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

Margaret, please put on the calendar an appointment on November 30, at ten, for a new client, Michael Marston.

Okay. She turned to go back to her office.

The law firm was off and running for another week.

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At noon, Tim returned to the office with lunch for himself. He was awaiting a jury verdict in the Addison case. It had been a tough matter. Miss Addison had suffered aortic-illicit injury as a result of a lumbar mastectomy, which was done to relieve her nerve impingement and make room for healing. Unfortunately, Miss Addison died of complications following the surgery.

Mr. Henderson, Mr. Bradley is here and is eating lunch in the conference room, stated Jean.

So, Tim, what is going on with the Addison case? asked Bill.

The surgeon’s defense was that the operation was successful. The case is with the jury. I cannot say what the outcome will be.

Since you could be called back to court at any time when the jury has reached its verdict, let me tell you that we have a potential new client. I would like to meet you and Arnold for a few minutes today, after five, to talk about him.

Jean interrupted on the intercom, saying, Mr. Bradley, the bailiff called. The jury has reached a decision.

Tim jumped up from his desk. I gotta go!

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Arnold returned to the office after finishing his deposition in the Williams case.

It is hard to believe that the deposition took almost the entire day to complete. Dr. Hart’s counsel, Miriam Bentley, tried every trick in the book.

That is a tragic case. As I recall, she died, leaving a husband and two small children behind, replied Bill.

That’s correct.

Arnold, I would like to have a brief meeting with you and Tim today after five.

That’s fine, replied Arnold.

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The three of them met in the conference room.

Well, Tim, how did the jury find in the Addison case?

I regret to say that after three days of trial, they came back as a hung jury. We will have to try the case again with another jury. I am convinced that there should have been a verdict for the plaintiff, but somehow, something went wrong with the jurors. Perhaps they did not understand the case.

I am sorry to hear that, said Bill. I wanted to tell you that I received a telephone call today from an attorney. He claims his wife died in the hospital early yesterday morning under questionable circumstances. He was very sorrowful and had difficulty talking to me. An appointment has been made to see him on November 30. I would like you both to be present at this meeting. It may be a case-or it may not be.

Do you have any other details? asked Arnold.

No. Only that according to Mr. Marston, there is reason to be suspicious about how she was treated by the surgeon and the hospital staff. She died at the relatively young age of fifty-seven.

CHAPTER 2

Annette Marston was an attractive woman, and she lived a relatively free and spirited life without restrictions. She worked as a legal secretary after graduating from high school. Her working days ended after she and Michael had two children, Lauren and Bruce, both of whom were now adults. She liked to shop, eat in restaurants, buy more clothes and jewelry than she could ever wear, go to the theater and the movies, and talk on the phone with her many friends. The Marston family was fortunate enough to live in suburban Philadelphia, and they also had a summer home in New Jersey. Annette’s wonderful lifestyle was all supported by Michael.

Unfortunately, as the years passed, Annette began to gain weight and eat the wrong kinds of food-French fries, burgers, hoagies, candy, and chocolate bars—all in excess. Her doctor warned her at age forty-five that she was pre diabetic. He advised her to exercise, change her diet to wholesome food, and perhaps consult a nutritionist. Her family delicately gave her the same sort of advice.

Unfortunately, all the good advice and information given to her and the fact that she was pre diabetic did not phase her. She was her own person. She liked to give advice but not receive it. She continued with her lifestyle, bad eating habits, and continual and substantial weight gain. She hid chocolates and candy in her purse and ate dinner around ten o’clock in the evening. Then she would watch television and read newspapers and magazines until the middle of the night. Her unmanageable lifestyle was set in stone. Any advice given to her fell on deaf ears. The thought of not eating properly, not performing light exercises, and her obvious deterioration that could lead to ultimate physical disaster meant absolutely nothing to her. She was determined to live a life with no self-control and doing whatever she wanted to do, without compunction.

There was a considerable degree of tension between Michael and Annette. They argued constantly about Annette’s refusal to take care of herself.

When they were alone, Michael would say, Annette, do you realize that you are gaining weight due to your poor eating habits?

I don’t want to talk about it. I know everything you are telling me.

Well, if you know, why aren’t you doing something about it?

I will. That’s enough. I don’t want to talk about it any further.

Annette, if I can’t talk to you about doing the right things for yourself, who do you think will talk to you about this? My concern is not about me; it is about you as my wife. Your doctors are also very concerned about you. They have offered advice about what to do many times, but you ignore them too.

That’s enough! I don’t want to hear any more about this from you. I know what to do, and you need to stop keep talking to me about this over and over again.

Michael gave Annette a hard stare, and she turned her head away from him. The same arguments had been going on for years without any change in circumstances.

Michael wanted Annette to be healthy. Annette inherently knew how Michael felt, but given her weight, she was ashamed to have sexual contact with him. So, this argument continued for the rest of their marriage. Michael had no one to talk to or express his inner feelings to. He was very frustrated.

Annette, as a lawyer, I give advice to clients all the time. Almost all of them listen to me and are grateful. My advice is not always about law. Sometimes, it is about very personal matters. My clients pay me for this advice, but you never seem to want to even listen to me. I try to speak to you for your own good, yet you shut me down and get angry when we talk about your degenerating health. You are so stubborn!

Michael often felt that he was wasting his life with a woman like Annette, with whom he had lost compatibility. His feelings were very deep. He began to enjoy being at work more than being at home. The work helped alleviate the tortuous feelings from which he was suffering.

Michael just had to talk to someone-but not with his family or friends because his problems with his wife were not their business or anyone else’s business.

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Reluctantly, but thankfully, Michael went to see a psychiatrist to explain the situation and how it was making him feel. Michael was ashamed about seeing a shrink. He always tried to solve his problems alone. He was educated and understood the problems of life, and he dealt with them almost every day.

Dr. DiNardo was extremely empathetic and listened carefully to Michael as his deepest feelings came dripping out of his mouth. Michael, you have inundated yourself with thoughts about your wife. These thoughts are taking over your persona. You should not ignore your wife, but you should think about what you can do to change the situation and change the way you look at it.

Michael was silent for a few moments. He knew where Dr. DiNardo was coming from and that he was trying to help him. I have been married to Annette for a long time, and as you know, I have two grown children. In my mind, I always felt that I could change Annette for the better. I very much wanted her to be healthy and to restore our relationship to what it once was. However, Annette became a force to contend with. Talking to her about her own health, as I did many times, made her want to avoid my so-called lectures. I lapsed into a degree of despondence from all of this, and that is why I am here.

What you are saying is quite understandable, Michael, responded Dr. DiNardo. The fact that you have tried over and over again to unsuccessfully change her is now changing you. It is most likely that she will never change. You know as well as I do that it is almost impossible to change a person’s attitude, particularly their thoughts and personality. Now, if you understand what I have just said, and I am sure that you do, what do you intend to do hereafter?

Michael understood what Dr. DiNardo was saying, but such thoughts had been subverted by him many times, and he really did not want to think that way.

Michael, the past has passed, and it cannot be changed back to what it was. We may want to be young again, but it will never happen. Accordingly, you now have to pick up the ball and run with the situation as it is now and not what it was long ago.

After digesting Dr. DiNardo’s words, Michael said, "At this point, I realize that Annette is what she is. Neither I nor anyone else can change her. I should not feel guilty because my efforts to help her have failed. Doctor, from this point forward, I will do my very best to take care of Annette, but I will not abandon her. I will try to restrain from arguing with her and lead my own life as best as I can.

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At age fifty, Annette became a diabetic. Diabetes is a silent disease in its early stages, but her body systems gradually broke down. It was disheartening, but Michael knew that the end was drawing near unless she could get a kidney transplant.

Even in her present condition, Annette did not seem fazed with what was happening. Perhaps it was better for her not to constantly dwell on her kidney problem; she would not admit the wrongful ways to which she had subjected herself.

She became tethered to the dialysis machine, which was necessary to purify her blood. Her kidneys were not functioning, and in order to go on living, she had no choice but to have dialysis three times a week.

Her dialysis treatments went on for five years, but her physical condition slowly deteriorated. Her doctors told her that dialysis would eventually not be effective; the only way she could save herself was to have a kidney transplant. Her physical condition was such that she was considered a candidate for a kidney transplant.

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*Dr. Bernard Bigman, Annette’s nephrologist, saw her and said, Hi, Annette. I see that you are in a wheelchair and are not able to walk well. This concerns me about whether you will qualify for a kidney transplant.

Oh no, she protested. I am fine, and I can walk if I have to. She jumped out of the wheelchair and began walking slowly. See, I am okay and in good enough condition to have a transplant. I only used the wheelchair to get to Dr. Cataldo’s office, which is on the other side of the hospital.

Dr. Bigman looked at her and thought, Who does think she is fooling?