When Ross and Sarah Gray learned one of their twins was anencephalic and wouldn't survive, they decided to donate his organs and tissues to medical research. Their sons were born five years and six days ago; today is the anniversary of Thomas's death.
It turns out healthy newborn tissue and organ donations are extremely rare, and are thus invaluable to research.
[Gray's] mantra has become donate, donate, donate, and not just for transplant, but also for research. Even if nobody asks you - doctors are often uncomfortable when a child is dying - bring it up yourself, she says.The Grays went to visit university labs where their son's corneas, retinas, liver, and cord blood went, and met the doctors and scientists who are still conducting research with Thomas's tissue five years later.
"The way I see it, our son got into Harvard, Duke, and Penn. He has a job," said Sarah Gray at the end of a weepy but amazing story. None of which is any pressure for Gray's other son, who is healthy and five, and is presumably working on his college admissions essays.
Thomas Gray lived six days, but his life has lasting impact [philly.com]
