In this nine-minute radio feature listeners join a young stonemason from Boston as he copes with a failing liver and tries to figure out what to do about it. One option, his doctors explain, is to go elsewhere. Through his journey, we learn about the geographic disparities of liver transplantation in this country and a proposal on the table that would change the way livers get allocated.
First, Doraiswami goes to Indiana but he returns to Boston still needing a transplant. After that, he plans a trip to Wisconsin, hoping for better chances. But a couple days before he is meant to leave, an appointment opens up at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and he gets a one way ticket there. Doctors David Mulligan, Catherine Frenette and Jon Hundley explain the redistricting proposal and address their concerns. The piece shifts back to Doraiswami who has become deathly ill and then finally receives a transplant.