Radiolab Gray's Donation
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Feb 20, 2026 
Sarah Gray, a mother and memoirist who lost her infant son Thomas to anencephaly, tells a deeply personal story. She traces how Thomas’s tissue and organs traveled to labs, from eye research to cord‑blood and liver experiments. The narrative follows her searches, surprising meetings with scientists, and how those discoveries reshaped her sense of meaning.
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Twin Pregnancy Shock And Choices
- Sarah and Ross learned at a 12-week screening that one twin had anencephaly and might die shortly after birth.
- They faced a possible selective termination, rode out a risky pregnancy, and ultimately took Thomas home where he lived six days.
Donation Pickup And A Form Letter
- After Thomas died, a transplant van collected his body and donor coordinators sent his corneas and liver to research labs.
- The family received only a generic thank-you letter and no detailed follow-up about how the tissues were used.
Infant Eye Tissue Is Particularly Valuable
- Sarah discovered that infant eyes are extremely valuable for research due to regenerative properties.
- Dr. James Ziskind told her her son's cells were likely still in use two years later, revealing long research lifespans.
