Sarah Gray: How my son's short life made a lasting difference
सराह ग्रे: मेरो छोराको छोटो जिन्दगीले कसरी दीर्घकालिन प्रभाव पार्यो
Sarah Gray found meaning in tragic loss by donating the organs of her newborn son to advance scientific research. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
जुम्ल्याहा बच्चाहरु थिए,
went to my second sonogram.
दोश्रो सोनोग्राम गर्न गएका थियौं ।
we had a higher risk
the standard birth defects,
जन्म दोषहरुको बारेमा अध्ययन गरेर
that we were about to face.
that one of our twins, Thomas,
called anencephaly.
was not formed correctly
typically die in utero
or days of being born.
केहि दिनमा मृत्यु हुन्छ ।
as far as the doctor could tell,
how this could have possibly happened,
लामो छलफल पछि,
was not impossible,
for the healthy twin and for me,
खतरा हुन सक्थ्यो
the pregnancy to term.
पूर्णता दिने निर्णय गर्यौं
with two trimesters ahead of me,
६ महिना गर्भ अवधि बाकि,
my blood pressure and my stress.
गाह्रो थियो ।
point a loaded gun at you for six months.
तेर्स्याए जस्तै हुन गैरहेको थियो ।
the barrel of that gun for so long
घुरेर हेरीरहंदा,
at the end of the tunnel.
to prevent the tragedy,
हाम्रो सामर्थ्य त थिएन,
for Thomas's brief life
म सोच्न थालें ।
eye and tissue donation.
अंगदानको बारेमा सोधें
organ-procurement organization,
वाशिंगटन क्षेत्रीय अंग प्रत्यारोपण समूह
Transplant Community.
at birth to donate for transplant,
प्रत्यारोपण गर्न मिल्दैन ।
you could be rejected for that.
मलाई थाहा थिएन
a good candidate to donate for research.
पनिअंगदान गर्न सकिन्छ ।
चिकित्सा रहस्य पत्तालगाउन सक्ने
to unlock a medical mystery.
and they were both born alive.
the top part of his skull,
like a normal baby,
उनीहरुले हाम्रो घरमा गाडी पठाए
National Medical Center.
that the recovery was a success,
अंग निकाल्न सफलता मिलेको खबर आयो
would be going to four different places.
to Duke University.
company called Cytonet in Durham.
(Cytonet in Durham),
to Schepens Eye Research Institute,
Schepens Eye Research Institute
to the University of Pennsylvania.
यूनिवर्सिटी अफ पेन्सेलभेनिया पठाइयो ।
with our immediate family,
closed this chapter in our lives.
what's happening now?
अहिले के भैरहेको होला ?
रहेन होला ?
to a grief retreat,
शोक सभामा बोलायो, जहाँ,
15 other grieving families
organs for transplant.
अंगदान गरेका थिए ।
their loved one's organs,
could even meet each other
अंग लिने दिनेको
I thought maybe I could write a letter
वा रिसर्चमा
and learn about what happened.
खुल्दुली लाग्यो
for people who donate for transplant.
बिचमा मात्रै हुन्छ
I had transplant envy, I guess.
why they requested infant retinas
could visit their lab.
चाहना ब्यक्त गरेँ
that arranged the donation,
send it to the right person.
never done this before,
निश्चित पनि छैन,
and they would deliver it.
जवाफ आयो -
of the University of Pennsylvania.
that she is studying retinoblastoma,
को बारेमा बताईन्
under the age of five,
we were invited to visit her lab.
imagine how we felt,
the ultimate sacrifice,
to feel indebted to us.
and the system chose your study.
bad things happen to children every day,
दुर्घटनामा परिरहन्छन,
be buried in the ground right now.
a new layer of meaning.
about using this tissue."
कति दुर्लभ कुरा हो, बताईन् ।
for this tissue six years earlier
Research Interchange.
that fit her criteria,
एउटा मात्र नमूना भेटेकी रहिछन
to come visit the lab,
which was the twins' fifth birthday.
२३ मार्च २०१३ मा ल्याब जाने समय मिलायौं ।
some pictures of Thomas and Callum,
केहि फोटोहरु इमेल गरेँ ।
we received this T-shirt in the mail.
हुलाकबाट आएको हो ।
and I piled in the car
उनको सहकर्मीहरुलाई भेट्यौं ।
not to feel guilty, that it was a relief,
ठुलो राहत मिलेको कुरा भनिन ।
from our perspective.
had a secret code name.
थोमसको पनि गोप्य कोड नाम रहेछ ।
is called HeLa,
डकुमेन्ट देखाइन,
from DC to Philadelphia.
is like an heirloom to us now.
पुर्ख्यौली सम्पत्ति जत्तिकै भएको छ ।
or a wedding certificate might be.
बिवाह दर्ता प्रमाणपत्र जस्तै ।
Thomas's retina and his RNA
ट्युमर उत्पन्न गर्ने जीनको
that causes tumor formation,
that were based on RES 360.
केहि निस्कर्ष पनि देखाइन ।
that she still has
when she might get more.
दिउसोको खाना संगै खायौं ।
with a birthday gift.
जन्मदिनको उपहार दिए ।
simple messages today.
सन्देशहरु दिन चाहन्छु -
don't think about donating to research.
हामी खासै सोच्दैनौ ।
I think I'm a normal person.
किन कि म पनि साधारण मानिस हुँ ।
and I recommend it,
यसको सुझाब दिन्छु,
अनुभब भयो ।
with human tissue
मानव टिस्सुसंग काम गर्नुहुन्छ, र
and about the family,
tell them what you're working on,
रिसर्चको बारेमा लेख्नुहोस
even more gratifying for you
उनीहरुभन्दा पनि तपाईंलाइ
in arranging one of these visits,
मिलाउन सक्नुभो भने
all four facilities
doing inspiring work.
मान्छेहरु संग भेट गर्यौं,
is that Thomas got into Harvard,
थमस हार्वर्ड गयो,
in order to do their job.
थमसको मद्धत अत्यावस्यक छ ।
brief and insignificant
everlasting and relevant.
सान्दर्भिकमा रुपान्तरण भयो ।
can be as relevant.
सान्दर्भिक बनोस ।
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Gray - Researchers' dream donatorSarah Gray found meaning in tragic loss by donating the organs of her newborn son to advance scientific research.
Why you should listen
While struggling to cope with the loss of their infant son Thomas, Sarah Gray and her family met the researchers who received his eye, liver and cord blood donations. This journey garnered national and international media attention and brought profound peace to the Gray family.
Gray is the director of marketing and public affairs for the American Association of Tissue Banks and a member of the AATB Donor Family Guidance Document Committee. She is author of a forthcoming memoir from HarperOne, A Life Everlasting: The Extraordinary Story of One Boy's Gift to Medical Science.
Gray holds a BA in Communications from Marquette University and a Masters in Public Communication from American University, where her capstone topic was nondirected kidney donation. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband Ross and children, Callum and Jocelyn.
Sarah Gray | Speaker | TED.com