Dr. Chance is Kate’s primary oncologist after she is diagnosed with APL. Since he begins treating her at age two and is still overseeing her care when she is 16, he knows the Fitzgeralds quite well and is deeply invested in Kate’s situation. He is shown to be patient with the Fitzgeralds when they get upset, especially Sara, who occasionally lashes out at him in her grief. He testifies at Anna’s hearing, arguing in favor of Anna donating a kidney to Kate and claiming that all the procedures Anna has undergone for donations have been of minimal risk.
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Dr. Chance Character Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper
The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Chance appears in My Sister’s Keeper. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
6. 1990: Sara
Sara and Brian take Kate to see Dr. Harrison Chance , Kate’s new oncologist. Sara feels a sense of comfort and inclusion in the oncology...
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Dr. Chance explains that, after chemo, they will have to watch Kate closely for relapse. Unless she...
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Dr. Chance tells Sara and Brian that Jesse is unfortunately not a match. Sara stares at his...
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9. Wednesday: Jesse
Once Kate is through intake, Dr. Chance confirms that Kate is suffering the symptoms of end-stage kidney failure. Sara asks if they...
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10. 1990-1991: Sara
...but Sara stops him, paranoid that someone else has been injecting things into it. Eventually, Dr. Chance shows up and they begin the transplant, which does not even wake Kate up. Everyone...
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16. 1996: Sara
...remission, meaning that, although she is not symptomatic, her cancer will return sooner or later. Dr. Chance recommends putting her on ALL-TRANS Retinoic Acid (ATRA), a medication that might put Kate into...
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Sara and Brian go to an appointment with Dr. Chance . The photos in his office have been the same since Kate’s diagnosis, making Sara...
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21. Friday: Campbell
...the elevator on his way back from Bergen’s office. Julia is there to meet with Dr. Chance , but when Campbell asks her about the state of the lawsuit, she admits she...
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23. 1997: Sara
...if Kate will live long enough to have one. Sara and Brian take Kate to Dr. Chance , who tells them that Kate is in clinical relapse and recommends a bone marrow...
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...transplant has been approved for coverage. The transplant will cost over $100,000, but just because Dr. Chance has deemed it necessary doesn’t mean the insurance company will cover it. Sara explains to...
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25. The Weekend: Anna
...for a four-letter word for vessel. Anna and Sara throw out a few suggestions before Dr. Chance comes in. He asks for Kate’s pain number, which is a three; he warns that...
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27. 2001: Sara
...the ER; although they’re used to doing this, they have never seen anything this bad. Dr. Chance sees them and suggests arsenic therapy, a treatment that is so new that there aren’t...
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Seventeen days into the hospital stay, Kate develops an infection. One day, Dr. Chance comes in to check on her and tells Sara that she needs to say goodbye....
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35. Monday: Campbell
Campbell’s next witness is Dr. Chance . At Campbell’s pressing, the doctor explains how the Fitzgeralds conceived Anna after learning of...
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42. Wednesday: Anna
...and Brian come into the girls’ room. Sara tells Kate that she’s been talking to Dr. Chance about a kidney transplant, and that he won’t recommend the procedure unless the kidney comes...
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56. 2010: Kate
...her kidney transplant nearly failed, she inexplicably recovered and has not been in relapse since. Dr. Chance thinks it’s an effect of the various treatments she’s had, but Kate believes that Anna...
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