Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: How a donation leads Sarah and Ross Gray to places we rarely get a chance to see.
Before he was even born, Sarah and Ross Gray knew that their son Thomas wouldn’t live long. But as they let go of him, they made a decision that reverberated through a world that they never bothered to think about. Years later, after a couple of awkward phone calls, they go on a quest and manage to meet the people and places for whom Thomas’ short life was an altogether different kind of gift. We originally made this story back in 2015, but we wanted to play it again because we love that it brings a view of science that is redemptive, tender, and unexpected.
Since we first released this episode, Sarah Gray wrote a book called A Life Everlasting (zpr.io/GVYisRaqe9d6), it’s a memoir about Thomas that dives into the world of organ donation and medical science. She’s also written a beautiful short story about shame called The Lacemaker Story (zpr.io/Li5BMtfHmf92). And right now she’s working on a script for a movie called Raincheck.
LATERAL CUTS -
The Cathedral (radiolab.org/podcast/cathedral)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (radiolab.org/podcast/the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks)
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Jad Abumrad
with help from Latif Nasser
Episode Segments:
0:00 Intro
15:29 CHPT 2
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🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
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Photo illustration by Lily Padula
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
From the Radiolab podcast: How a donation leads Sarah and Ross Gray to places we rarely get a chance to see.
Before he was even born, Sarah and Ross Gray knew that their son Thomas wouldn’t live long. But as they let go of him, they made a decision that reverberated through a world that they never bothered to think about. Years later, after a couple of awkward phone calls, they go on a quest and manage to meet the people and places for whom Thomas’ short life was an altogether different kind of gift. We originally made this story back in 2015, but we wanted to play it again because we love that it brings a view of science that is redemptive, tender, and unexpected.
Since we first released this episode, Sarah Gray wrote a book called A Life Everlasting (zpr.io/GVYisRaqe9d6), it’s a memoir about Thomas that dives into the world of organ donation and medical science. She’s also written a beautiful short story about shame called The Lacemaker Story (zpr.io/Li5BMtfHmf92). And right now she’s working on a script for a movie called Raincheck.
LATERAL CUTS -
The Cathedral (radiolab.org/podcast/cathedral)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (radiolab.org/podcast/the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks)
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Jad Abumrad
with help from Latif Nasser
Episode Segments:
0:00 Intro
15:29 CHPT 2
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Lily Padula
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
