Antonio Giuseppe (AJ) McCarron - Star of Silent Partners
John Carlson - Director of Silent Partners
Bob Thomas - Producer of Silent Partners
George Jorgeson - Host of Hollywood This Day television show

Scene: Popular teen actor and Hollywood A-Lister, AJ McCarron, makes an appearance on Hollywood This Day.

GEORGE JORGESON: Welcome to the most must see Talk Show on television Hollywood This Day. Joining us are John Carlson, the director, and Bob Thomas, the producer, of Silent Partners. (A warm round of applause is heard as John Carlson and Bob Thomas sit down.)

GEORGE JORGESON (Encourages the audience): And, okay, okay, hold onto your socks because our special guest is going to blow the roof off this place. As a surprise treat, especially for all the young ladies here today, Antonio Giuseppe McCarron, the star of Silent Partners, will join us too.

(A chorus of adulation arises as AJ walks onto the set. He pauses center stage, winks, smiles broadly, waves, and settles into his seat. Another boisterous round of applause erupts. "We love you, AJ!" can be heard from the audience. AJ waves in the direction the words emit from.)

GEORGE JORGESON: Welcome and howdy AJ McCarron! What a privilege to have you join us for this discussion. Let's get right to it, shall we? Bob, you're around AJ all day long. So, tell us one juicy tidbit about AJ his many fans would want to know?

BOB THOMAS (Without hesitation): His larger-than-life personality. When I've been told AJ is not a typical teen, I've realized I can not argue that supposition. (He looks at the boy seated next to him) Many people have said AJ's life is not run-of-the-mill. I doubt I could debate the finer nuances of that assertion either. AJ has known tears and laughter, sadness and joy, struggles, failures, and victories along his life's journey. And I assure you, we at Silent Partners are proud to count this young man as a viable member of our team.

GEORGE JOGESON: John, can you tell our audience what helped AJ land the coveted role of Lucas on Silent Partners over several other better known young actors who auditioned for the part? The exciting, new, Prime Time drama has captured the attention of so many viewers. But, why go with a virtual unknown who had no previous acting credits before Silent Partners came along?

JOHN CARLSON: From the first time I met him, I admired AJ for doing whatever became necessary to survive and knock out of the ballpark the curves thrown his way, of which there have been many. Some of the challenges AJ's faced would have destroyed lesser boys. However, his indomitable sense of humor, strength, passion, determination, conviction, and endurance have allowed AJ to overcome many slips and falls along life's highway.

GEORGE JORGESON: AJ, I know this is tough for you to talk about, but can you tell us about the health issues your mother suffered?

AJ (Slightly off-guard): She died when I was young. I remember a machine kept her collapsed lungs breathing. But, what got me were the doctors taking one test after another and how they seemed to be more worried about other patients.

GEORGE JORGESON: Isn't it true, AJ, that your mother was in a coma?

JOHN CARLSON (Cuts in): Yes she was George, and the doctors were oblivious to what they said in her presence. Their predictions became more dire with each passing day. She'd been given less than a one percent chance of survival.

GEORGE JORGESON: AJ, wasn't your mother in this condition for more than three months?

AJ (Uncomfortable): A virus in her heart led to a massive stroke.

BOB THOMAS: Let me see if I can help AJ better explain this, George. Ann McCarron underwent an emergency surgery where a portion of her cranium was removed to relieve the pressure on her brain.

GEORGE JORGESON (Probes): I read somewhere she'd undergone an experimental treatment.

AJ: A section of my mom's vortex was sown into a pouch made from her skin and stitched into her abdomen.

JOHN CARLSON: This procedure was done to keep the tissue alive in the event it became safe to replace the matter back in her head. Ann had lost her ability to speak clearly and was paralyzed on her left side. In addition, she contracted a staph infection and was septic.

AJ: There was a protective helmet on top of my mom's head that looked like one football players wore a hundred years ago.

GEORGE JORGESON: But, the doctors' carelessness did not stop there, did it, AJ?

AJ: Many times I heard them say things like "She can't survive this stroke" and "It's time to pull the plug".

GEORGE JORGESON: How did it make you feel when the doctors gave up all hope of your mother surviving her stroke?

(A single tear trickles down AJ's face. He wipes it away with his hand. The audience grows quiet. A pall settles over the set.)

AJ: I knew. Everyone in the room knew. I had to be brave. I'd never been a quitter before in my life and my mom wouldn't have wanted to me quit then.

(George Jorgeson senses the depression caused by what AJ relates and notices how it affects the audience. They grow sullen.)

GEORGE JORGESON (Looks to his cameraman): We'll be right back with much more from AJ McCarron after this short station break.

(TO BE CONTINUED)