And she said we had no reason to notice or remember this, but there was a kid who felt like he was the only person in the school who didn't have a prom date. We got a letter from a neighbor whom we don't know super well. The stories of his love and compassion are absolutely astounding. But it wasn't his mind that marked him so extraordinary. He had a photographic memory and, like some other kids in our family, you know, knew all the presidents and vice presidents in order. RASKIN: Well, Tommy was remarkable from the beginning. SIMON: Tell us about your son, who you and your wife called a radiant light in this broken world? JAMIE RASKIN: Thank you for inviting me to talk to you, Scott. Our condolences to you and your wife, Sarah, and your family. His father, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, joins us.Ĭongressman, thank you for making time for us. Tommy Raskin was 25 when he took his own life at his home on the day of New Year's Eve.

But this young man, with what his parents called a riotously outrageous and relentless sense of humor, began to be tortured later in his 20s by a blindingly painful and merciless disease called depression. He won prizes at Amherst, wrote poetry, drew people to veganism and went on to Harvard Law. He always made time for the lonely kids in class, disdained gossip, loved animals and believed they have rights.

Jamie Raskin of Maryland talked with NPR about his son's life and the outpouring of tributes to him. On New Year's Eve, 25-year-old Tommy Raskin killed himself.

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