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SN22 - Federer’s Promise and a Sister’s Gift
33 Plays2 days ago
Happy Monday from Jeff and Sam. Enjoy some happy stories.
Jeff shares the heartwarming story of tennis legend Roger Federer keeping a five-year-old pinky promise to a young fan, showing us how kindness and follow-through can leave a lasting impact.
Sam shares an inspiring medical miracle—a woman gives birth after receiving a womb transplant from her sister, with pro bono help from a team of doctors.
🔗 Jeff's sources:
- Roger Federer Kept His Promise to a Young Tennis Fan – Upworthy
- Roger Federer Fulfills Pinky Promise – Tennis.com
- Solinco Sports – Zizou Junior Spotlight
🔗 Sam's sources:
📌 Visit us on Linktree for the collection of links, Instagram, or email us at downtherabbitholepod@gmail.com.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Monday episode
00:00:19
Jeff Rogers
Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Hello. Hello world. Hello world. How are you? I'm great. How are you? It's, you know, I'm okay.
00:00:30
Jeff Rogers
Oh. I can't complain. That's good. I mean, you could complain. I can't. You're choosing not to. um' choosing that too right I'm good. I'm choosing to be happy. Do you know why? Uh-uh.
00:00:40
Jeff Rogers
Why? Because it's a happy Monday. That's right. It's a happy Monday. yeah What's new? What's new on this Monday? How was your weekend? I don't like this game.
00:00:50
Jeff Rogers
I don't even remember the weekend. Well, it hasn't happened yet. Or it did happen just too long ago that we don't remember. Truth. Or it's going to happen this next weekend. a weird zone. weekend's going to happen this next weekend.
00:01:01
Jeff Rogers
Truth. That was podcast time. It does happen. Podcast time zones. All over the world. All over the world. um Hello. So this is a very small episode that we will throw at you on a Monday, occasionally, every other Monday, maybe every third Monday, maybe every Monday.
00:01:16
Jeff Rogers
Depends on how well we do what we do. And we try to give you little happy stories. just Because everyone hates Mondays. Everyone hates Mondays. And we always have dark stories on Thursday.
00:01:30
Jeff Rogers
or usually dark stories on Thursday. so we we're going to balance this out with some happiness on Monday.
Grace Davidson's womb transplant story
00:01:36
Jeff Rogers
We are. We're going to have you... and it's a sticky note episode. That just means it's a little bitty version of our down the rabbit hole episodes.
00:01:43
Jeff Rogers
So anyway, any news No. None. Not even a little bit. Just sit back and relax because Sam's got a story she wants to tell us.
00:01:55
Jeff Rogers
I do indeed. She was just about to take a drink. Larry. You can take a drink if you want. very small. a very short episode. Short episode.
00:02:06
Jeff Rogers
Story. I heard your brain just did. Clunk. Clunk. Your brain was like, huh? Okay, two 16s and an 8. I'm still upright. Look, I did an online test today.
00:02:19
Jeff Rogers
My brain died. we will We will fix that. but broke My brain broke in half. Then I went and laid down in bed. Curled up in a ball under your heated blanket. Well, you know what?
00:02:30
Jeff Rogers
We'll shake that off. We'll start fresh, okay? Okay, shaking it Shake it off. Okay. okay In probably the most impressive and incomparable show of sisterly sisterly love, a woman in the UK who was told she was unable to bear children was given the gift of not only having her own child, but carrying it as well.
00:02:53
Jeff Rogers
Grace Davidson was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kusterhauser syndrome. Yeah. That results in females having an underdeveloped wound if they have one at all.
00:03:08
Jeff Rogers
There are organizations in many countries that provide aid to women like Grace. Grace and her husband wanted to try a transplant, a uterine transplant. In 2018, the couple had found a potential donor, but it fell through.
00:03:23
Jeff Rogers
Grace's sister volunteered her own womb that she had already carried two children with. The transplant was approved, but the pandemic halted things. In 2023, Grace underwent the 17-hour marathon procedure, which was done pro bono by 30 physicians and surgeons.
00:03:45
Jeff Rogers
After the procedure and recovery, she became pregnant during her first round of IVF. Born just one year after the transplant, Amy Isabel joined her parents in the world. She was named after Grace's sister who du donated the uterus and the lead physician at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, Isabel Kigroga.
00:04:09
Jeff Rogers
The first a baby ever born from a transplanted womb was in Sweden 2014. Since then... since then The procedure has become more popular and has been used to deliver 65 healthy babies into the world.
00:04:25
Jeff Rogers
Grace was the first in the UK. That's so cool. Right? I don't. Yeah. you You were excited to tell me that story. I see why. Because, you know, it's like it's it's the medical marvel of it. And it's just kind of a beautiful thing. Like, you know, what I'm constantly trying to get rid of my own uterus because I don't plan on using it.
00:04:44
Jeff Rogers
So, like, if my sisters ever needed one, be like, yeah take it. Go ahead. But, you know, they are very, very adept at procreating. So they're fine. That was a good one. That was a really good story.
00:04:55
Jeff Rogers
you have
Hosts' movie banter
00:04:56
Jeff Rogers
one? I do, actually. Tell me. Tell me more. Okay, okay. I won't sing the rest of the song. I won't sing the rest of the song because I haven't seen the movie and you jumped on me last time. I was waiting for it.
00:05:08
Jeff Rogers
You jumped on me last time. so won't Because it's a shame. Like, did he have a car? I'm sorry. Tell me more. Tell me more. I can't not sing it. If you're not careful, I'm going to drug you and then make you watch it with me.
00:05:22
Jeff Rogers
Who? I don't know why I'm so opposed to that movie. It looks so dumb. But it's... I just made so many people angry just then. Okay, can we please watch it together?
00:05:36
Jeff Rogers
Please? Yeah? and I don't know. Please, do it just
Zazu Ahmad's dream with Federer
00:05:43
Jeff Rogers
for me. I won't make you go to a hockey game. That's manipulation. Yeah. Just for me. Do it just for me.
00:05:48
Jeff Rogers
You won't make me go to, you like you're going to make me go to a hockey game in the first place? What? She's going to drag me to a hockey game. will knock your ass out take you.
00:06:02
Jeff Rogers
We're like, what are we, a 40-year married couple here? What is this? What do you talk? What do you talk? I can't. I can't. What do you saw it She's crazy over there. She's being crazy over there. But you're just so stubborn. i can't even handle it.
00:06:18
Jeff Rogers
What am I supposed to do? um This is the best. We get to be on the microphone and people listen to this and we're insane. We might be a little punchy. That's why they listen to it, because they're insane too. yeah Joke's on you, people.
00:06:31
Jeff Rogers
Joke's on you. Gotcha. Okay. So most kids who play a sport have a player that they look up to. But most kids don't get the chance to meet their idol face-to-face, right?
00:06:48
Jeff Rogers
But that's what happened to Zazu Ahmed. I think it's Ahmad, Zazu Ahmad, right? So in 2017, a six-year-old Zazu had the opportunity to talk to tennis great Roger Federer at a press conference at the U.S. Open.
00:07:06
Jeff Rogers
Zazu asked Mr. Federer, ah ah he said to him, hi, Mr. Federer, can you please continue to play for eight or nine more years so that when I become pro, I can play you? To which Federer said, yes.
00:07:19
Jeff Rogers
And Zazu said, is that a promise? oh And Federer said, it's a pinky promise. Fast forward, and he said that with a grin too, right?
00:07:31
Jeff Rogers
So fast forward to 2022. Zazu is now 11 years old, and he has ranked as the number one player under the age of 12 in the U.S. in both singles and doubles.
00:07:43
Jeff Rogers
Wow. He serves as the Eastern ambassador for the United States Tennis Association and is clearly on his way to a successful tennis career. So Zazu's coach accompanied him to Europe, allegedly for a training event.
00:08:00
Jeff Rogers
As they sat down to eat together, it was like at a tennis place, right? As they sat down to eat... If I could be wrong about anything, it's going to be tennis. Just go with me on this, okay? They sat down to eat, and the waiter said, Zazu, my boss is a huge fan of yours.
00:08:19
Jeff Rogers
And Zazu was like... surprised but he was so thrilled when this woman came to the table And said, oh my god, I'm a big fan. And she revealed her t-shirt with Zuzu's face on it.
00:08:33
Jeff Rogers
So suddenly, like, these voices start chanting, Zuzu, Zuzu. And the young man turns toward them. What the? He says. He's really confused about what's happening. Like, he's no celebrity, you know?
00:08:47
Jeff Rogers
But all the voices are coming from the tennis court. And they're chanting his name. And what Zazu didn't know was that Roger Federer was watching Giddley from behind the scenes, grinning from ear to ear at Zazu getting the star treatment.
00:09:05
Jeff Rogers
Zazu was being treated like a celebrity.
00:09:10
Jeff Rogers
Yeah, you're making a face. love this. And now with fans holding signs and chanting his name from behind the fence, the 11-year-old was led to the clay court to take part in a match against Federer, who appeared from behind the screen.
00:09:25
Jeff Rogers
Zazu covered his face with his hands, and he became very emotional. Federer walked over, hugged the youngster, and when Zazu said, hi Mr. Federer, the tennis champ said, It's just Roger.
00:09:39
Jeff Rogers
The two then walked out to ne to the net at center court and Federer said, let's have some fun. And they did. the duo The duo enjoyed a fun match for about an hour.
00:09:51
Jeff Rogers
So later that year, when Roger Federer celebrated his 41st birthday, his superfan in Passaic County was ready with an appropriate heartwarming birthday greeting on Twitter. He said, when the goat makes a promise, he keeps it.
00:10:06
Jeff Rogers
And that's what makes him such an idol. Thank you, Mr. Federer, for the best day of my life, for those memories, and I am forever grateful that you kept your pinky promise.
00:10:17
Jeff Rogers
Happy birthday, goat.
00:10:21
Jeff Rogers
That is... It's so sweet. I knew you would love that. i knew you would love... She's got a tear in her eye. It's so sweet. He's just a little kid.
00:10:32
Jeff Rogers
He is. He is. So... He's probably like 14-ish today. wonder what he's doing. wonder if he still buds with Roger.
00:10:43
Jeff Rogers
I mean, you played Roger Federer at the age of 11. eleven That's a cool story, huh? That's like... um
00:10:53
Jeff Rogers
Mott with um Michael Jackson and Elton John. and oh Oh, my gosh. you just You see the humanity in these people who are idolized and put on pedestals by others. And like to be able to hear that you know they're good people. And Roger Federer had set up the whole thing.
00:11:14
Jeff Rogers
like ah Zazu thought he was going to be a part of this thing. He didn't know that it was really staged, I think. Aw. All by Roger Federer, just to make it look like Zazu was this famous athlete.
00:11:28
Jeff Rogers
I love that. Then he's standing behind watching it all. He was really nervous for Zazu, too. He was nervous for him, but he was smiling. Hello, Mr. Federer. My face hurts from
Episode conclusion
00:11:40
Jeff Rogers
smiling. Aw.
00:11:41
Jeff Rogers
It was good. Was that a happy show? Did we do a happy show for you? We did a happy show. We did. And I hope your Mondays all um start off strong. Because tomorrow is Tuesday and it goes downhill from there.
00:11:53
Jeff Rogers
So enjoy you today. True. But then Thursday we'll be back with some darkness for you. Just to prepare you for your last day of the work week. Hey, hey, hey. All right. That's it.
00:12:04
Jeff Rogers
Happy Monday. Bye.