Radiolab: “Gray’s Donation”
Podcast: Radiolab (WNYC Studios)
Episode: Gray’s Donation
First Aired: 2015; [Rebroadcast with 2026 update]
Hosts: Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich, Latif Nasser
Date: February 20, 2026
Episode Overview
This deeply personal episode explores the journey of Sarah Gray and her family as they navigate the devastating diagnosis and loss of one of their newborn twins to anencephaly. Instead of letting tragedy define their experience, the Grays choose to donate their son’s organs and tissue to medical research and subsequently embark on a unique quest: to discover the tangible impact of their donation. Along the way, Radiolab investigates the ripple effect of small acts and the universal human desire to connect our stories to a larger purpose.
“You are a piece of someone’s story, just a little part of it for a moment, and you never get to see how that story shakes out or what impact you actually had.”
—Latif Nasser [00:07]
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Diagnosis and Impossible Choices
[02:54–04:03]
- Sarah and Ross Gray learn at a 12-week scan that one of their twins has a fatal birth defect—anencephaly.
- Doctors present the option of a “selective termination” to save the healthy twin, sparking a moral and spiritual crisis for the family.
- Sarah consults two priests, introducing the Catholic “doctrine of double effect.”
Notable Quote:
“Basically, like the rule that if you... want to save the life of someone on the train tracks and you shoot the driver, that’s the right thing to do.”
—Sarah Gray [04:26; reflecting on priest’s analogy—see also Jad’s clarification at 04:53]
- At the last moment, medical risks force the doctors to call off the procedure, relieving the Grays of making the decision themselves.
- The couple prepares simultaneously for birth and impending loss.
2. Birth, Short Life, and Immediate Loss
[06:46–09:07]
- Both twins are delivered: Thomas (with anencephaly) and Callum (healthy).
- Thomas unexpectedly survives six days, spending precious time with family at home.
- Upon Thomas’s peaceful passing, the family immediately contacts the transplant agency for organ donation.
Notable Quote:
“He died in Ross’s arms, and he was surrounded by all of the people that loved him.”
—Sarah Gray [08:44]
3. The Decision to Donate and the Lingering Questions
[09:07–11:36]
- Sarah is inspired by another family who donated organs from a child with anencephaly.
- The Grays receive a generic thank-you letter specifying Thomas’s corneas and liver went to research facilities, but details are sparse.
- Sarah’s curiosity grows—what, concretely, came of the donation? Over a year, then two, she can’t let go of the need for specifics.
Notable Quote:
“I want to know... which researcher got it and what study are they working on.”
—Sarah Gray [09:55, paraphrased at 10:36]
- The search is also about processing grief and making sense of loss:
“I think honestly it sort of shook my faith in God and how the universe works.”
—Sarah Gray [11:10]
4. The Quest for Answers: Visiting the Labs
a) Boston — Schepens Eye Research Institute
[11:46–14:37]
- Sarah visits the lab where Thomas’s corneas went; receptionists and staff initially confused by her call.
- Dr. James Ziske explains infant eyes are rare and invaluable:
“An infant’s eyes are worth their weight in gold... because they regenerate.”
—Dr. Ziske, via Sarah [14:03] “We’re likely still using your son’s cells right now because that’s how long they last.”
—Dr. Ziske [14:34]
Sarah is deeply moved, realizing Thomas is still helping.
b) Durham, North Carolina — Duke University & Cytonet
[16:34–18:50]
- At Duke, Thomas’s and Callum’s cord blood samples are part of a groundbreaking twin study, revealing over 1,000 epigenetic differences—an important step toward understanding anencephaly.
“For me to be surprised, that implies that I knew what to expect. We’re just at the beginning of this.”
—Deirdre Krupp, grad student researcher [17:41]
- At Cytonet, Thomas’s liver was unsuitable for direct transplantation but used in vital research to determine preservation methods for infant liver tissue.
“They had a picture of Thomas in the break room... with a little sign saying, ‘Thomas Gray was a donor here.’”
—Sarah Gray [18:53]
c) Philadelphia — Dr. Arupa Ganguly, University of Pennsylvania
[19:24–23:18]
- Dr. Ganguly uses healthy infant retinas in pediatric cancer research. Receiving such samples is emotionally complex.
“Getting a normal retina is not a very easy task... It is not a pleasant experience... It’s sad, and every possible setting. It’s sad.”
—Dr. Arupa Ganguly [19:55, 20:28]
- Contacted for the first time by a donor’s family, Dr. Ganguly feels conflicted and guilty.
“I had this sense of guilt in my head.”
—Arupa Ganguly [20:51] “If you didn’t use my son’s retina, I would have buried it in the ground. Like, you’re the only one that wanted it.”
—Sarah Gray to Dr. Ganguly [22:12]
- The two labs and family members meet, view samples, and discuss the profound impact of these donations.
5. Processing Meaning and Finding Power in Loss
[23:18–24:52]
Sarah describes how the journey changed her view of the world:
“I used to think... the universe treated people the way it should, and now I don’t really believe that. But I do believe that there are really amazing kind people in the world, and science and medicine has something to do with that... These were Thomas’s colleagues and his co-workers and that he was a valuable partner in this important research. And I felt an even more fundamental shift—almost like... I used to feel like I was a boat on an ocean that was, like, rocky and choppy... And I had this feeling that I’m not the boat, I’m the ocean. The decisions that I make are changing other people... It has made me feel powerful.”
—Sarah Gray [23:25–24:52]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
Opening Theme:
“There are lots of moments in life when you are a piece of someone’s story... and you never get to see what impact you actually had.”
—Latif Nasser [00:07]
On the emotional logistics of living with a fatal fetal diagnosis:
“Just buying one of everything when, you know, there’s two babies coming. But we knew we’re going to be having a funeral as well... The guy’s not even born yet, you know, but I know.”
—Ross Gray [06:26–06:46]
On the power and meaning of donation, once revealed:
“An infant’s eyes are worth their weight in gold.”
—Dr. Ziske, via Sarah [14:03]
On the cosmic shift prompted by connecting with researchers:
“I felt an even more fundamental shift... I had this feeling that I’m not the boat, I’m the ocean. The decisions that I make are changing other people... It has made me feel powerful.”
—Sarah Gray [24:52]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [00:07] — Episode purpose and theme
- [02:54–04:53] — Discovery of anencephaly and ethical dilemma
- [06:46–09:07] — Birth, time with Thomas, his passing, and the organ donation decision
- [10:36–11:10] — Sarah confronts the cosmic “why” of their tragedy
- [11:46–14:37] — Visiting Schepens Eye Institute in Boston
- [16:34–18:50] — Duke University and Cytonet: cord blood/liver donation
- [19:24–23:18] — Philadelphia, Dr. Ganguly: a scientist’s perspective and donor-recipient dialogue
- [23:18–24:52] — Sarah reflects on meaning and power found through the donation journey
Update (2026)
[25:50–26:59]
- Sarah Gray published a memoir, A Life: The Extraordinary Story of One Boy's Gift to Medical Science.
- She maintained a friendship with Dr. Arupa Ganguly, even writing a “nerdy rap” about Ganguly’s Supreme Court case for an NIH talent show.
- Sarah also published a short story about shame and is working on a movie script and an album.
Links to Sarah’s work and stories are available at radiolab.org.
—Latif Nasser [25:50]
Takeaway
“Gray’s Donation” is a moving meditation on what it means to persist in making meaning from heartbreak—an exploration of how the personal and scientific intermingle, how loss can ripple outward to touch countless lives, and how sometimes the most profound stories are the ones whose impact we are lucky enough to witness. The episode examines both the difficulties of organ donation and the unexpected connections and empowerment it can bring to both donor families and researchers.
For more information, visit radiolab.org and look for “Gray’s Donation.”