Moments that define lives—told by those who lived them.

About the Podcast

Some conversations change everything. In Extraordinary Conversations, we explore those rare, pivotal moments when lives intersect and something greater begins to take shape. Hear from the specialists who guide these discussions, bring clarity to a crisis, and help people understand what comes next.

Your support helps us bring more episodes to life. Every contribution fuels the long hours and careful storytelling behind each conversation. Thank you for being here. We truly couldn’t do this without you.

Rare Moments. Real Voices.

Listen to Season 1: The Organ Donation Coversation
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  • Episode 1: Donation Request Specialists

    Go behind the scenes with the donation request team—the medical professionals who speak with families during life’s most fragile moments. Learn how they approach conversations about organ donation with clarity, compassion, and care.

    Featured in this episode: Samantha Taylor, Rachel Bledsoe, Dr. Nikole Neidlinger, Dr. Joshua Mezrich, Claire and Melissa Crichlow

    LISTEN on Apple Podcasts
  • Medical team holding hands with a family member that is considering an organ donation

    Episode 2: Donor Families

    Hear from the family members faced with the unimaginable: making a decision about organ donation in the wake of sudden loss. This episode offers a deeply human look at grief, generosity, and the quiet strength behind saying yes.

    Featured in this episode: Claire and Melissa Crichlow, Nikki, Cassie and Matthew Wolfgram, Dr. Joshua Mezrich, Sam Taylor

    LISTEN on apple podcasts

  • Episode 3: Organ Transplant Recovery

    This powerful episode takes a deep dive into the unseen, emotionally charged world of organ transplant recovery where urgency and reverence collide. Host Toby shadows a surgical team on a 2 AM mission to Marshfield to retrieve organs from a donor, revealing the complex logistics, split-second decisions, and profound humanity behind the process.

    Featured in this episode: Dr. Jenny Phillip, David Grant, Kaylee Davis, Ashley Wendt, Carissa, Heather Modell, Katie Heuer, Lynn Berg

    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS

Your opinion matters! Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to share your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions for the future season of Extraordinary Conversations.

Season 1:
The Donation Conversation

Season 1 of Extraordinary Conversations takes listeners inside one of the most emotionally complex decisions a family may ever face: the conversation about organ donation after brain death. These conversations often happen with no warning, in hospital rooms filled with grief, disbelief, and impossible questions. Yet within these moments—when a family is asked to consider organ donation—there is also the possibility of connection, legacy, and healing for others. Through intimate interviews with donor families, medical teams, and transplant coordinators, this season explores how these rare encounters unfold, what they require of everyone involved, and how something life-giving can emerge from unimaginable loss.

  • What Others are Saying

    “…This is truly amazing. I love how you highlight these ridiculously hard conversations that we have with families and that nobody knows about. I also love how you show the views of the families and the organ donation staff, and I look forward to hearing you talking about the transplant surgery, etc. later…”

    – Claire C.
    ICU Doctor

  • What Others are Saying

    “Extraordinary Conversations stopped me in my tracks. These stories are raw, real, and quietly life-changing. It made me think differently about what it means to show up, speak honestly, and listen when it matters most.”

    — Sam S.
    Listener

  • What Others are Saying

    “…I just finished episode 1. The podcast is extremely well produced; your narration and storyboarding are wonderful. I hope this finds a large audience, and I’m curious to see the direction you take things…”

    – Mark S.
    Palliative Care Doctor & Documentary Filmmaker