Like it or not, at some point, every part of the human body will be reused and recycled. It's happening every second -- cells die and rejuvenate; cuts and bruises heal; and the body is absorbed back into the earth after death, adding nutrients to the soil that allow other things to live.\nBecause you're going to lose them someday anyway, Susan Buzan wants as many parts of your body as you can spare.\nBuzan is on a mission to raise student awareness of the importance of organ donation, a kind of "planned recycling" of major parts of the body. An employee of the IU School of Music's scheduling office, her pet project "Music for Life: the Universal Gift" kicks into high gear this month. Buzan has planned awareness tables at most major events this month, from the Jill Behrman Run for the Endzone Wellness Fair on Oct. 9 to the Farmers Market on Oct. 23. Her first table, Friday at the Union Board's "Opening Up the House" event, included informational brochures and little white cards that potential donors could fill out.\nHer friendly approach to organ donation is a step up from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles's yes--or--no tactic. For Buzan, that little red heart at the corner of her Indiana driver's license just isn't enough. Her goals are loftier.\n"I want organ donation to become as much of a part of the fabric of our lives as fastening our seat belts," Buzan said.\nShe's quite serious.\nAnd though the healthy, energetic 60-year-old woman currently has no need of an organ replacement herself, she was inspired to spread the word through a special 15-year friendship with a fellow music school employee. Her close friend and colleague Dorothy Riggle needs a new lung.
The waiting game\nBuzan and Riggle met naturally through the music school more than a decade ago, and became fast friends. The two had much in common, both being single with grown children, and they worked closely doing academic and recital scheduling at work, even sharing an office for a time. Since then, they've been moved multiple times, and currently work across campus from each other. But the changes haven't slowed their friendship at all.\nIn fact, the only thing that has been forced to slow down is Riggle, herself.\nDiagnosed with severe gastro esophageal reflux disease and emphysema, Riggle has been on the waiting list for a lung transplant for more than a year. Years ago, bouts of constant infections caused lung damage down to her lower lungs -- and now an oxygen tank is one of her constant companions. Though a spritely, efficient and energetic woman at heart, Riggle is now focused on staying as healthy as possible as she waits for her pager to buzz -- the alert that will let her know that a lung is available for her. It's a waiting game that she takes very seriously.\nRiggle rises at 4:30 a.m. five times a week to do exercises using a treadmill and weights, to keep her lungs and upper body strong. She also does physical therapy once a week and reads about the latest lung treatments in her spare time. She's a member of an online support group and also meets with another support group in Indianapolis when she can -- the people there give her hope for the future, she says.\nRiggle has good reason for her optimism -- she's number six on the Indiana waiting list. This means that the next blood type A lung available will probably be hers. And in the meantime, she's holding up well.\n"I just kind of hang tight and hope the pager goes off before I get another cold," Riggle said. "A cold goes right into my lungs because they're weak. I usually go on antibiotics right away."\nIf Riggle has an infection when a lung becomes available, she won't even be considered for a transplant -- which means that her health is crucially important. But the worst thing about it is the time lost with her family, she says.\n"I have four young grandkids, and every time I go to see them I get sick, so I haven't been for a long time," Riggle said. \nThe people around her at the music school have become Riggle's family instead, even taking the time to move her to an office away from direct contact with others to protect her from germs that could harm her.\n"They've just put their arms around her -- its an ideal place for her," said Buzan. \nThough grateful for their kindness ("They're wonderful!"), Riggle is just waiting for the freedom a new lung will allow.\n"I hate to even think about the circumstances that have to happen to resolve my problem," she said. "But if people can see in me what is needed, maybe this will help others."
Life after donation\nBloomington resident Robin Glasscock's life changed after her son, 14-year-old Matthew Jennings, fell from a skateboard and hit his head in July. Though his heart was beating, doctors declared him brain dead in the hospital. This is when Glasscock was approached by Stacey Caruthers of the Indiana Organ Procurement Office, who asked her to consider donating Matt's organs. Glasscock agreed.\nMatt's kidneys, liver, heart and pancreas were given to others -- and Glasscock has even heard from two of the recipients. One, a Bloomington resident, received Matt's pancreas, which saved the recipients's life.\nFor Glasscock, her son is a hero.\n"So many people die every day, but my son saved four that day," Glasscock said. "I don't know how some of these people are doing or if they're even alive, but it was worth it just to help even one person."\nGlasscock has gone even further in her involvement with organ donation now, as she filmed a 41-second IOPO commercial for Insight Media last week. Filmed in front of the Musical Arts Center at IU, Glasscock was composed as she simply stated her story.\nWhat can be a loss for some can benefit others at the same time -- I'm talking about organ donation," she said in the commercial.\nGlasscock feels one of the most important gifts from any person would be a commitment to organ donation. As a representative for IOPO now, she's doing her part to spread the word.\n"I feel like I have to do this for Matt -- this is what I want to do," Glasscock said. "He was my only son, and there's a big void in my life now."
Objection: Growth\nOrgan donation promoter Buzan recently met Glasscock and heard her speak of Matt and the continued life for others that his organs provided. Glasscock's story has added to Buzan's objective to make her project grow from a campaign for organ donation to something much bigger. She's currently forming a plan to boost the student body's awareness of organ donation and make it easier to register as a donor. But Buzan doesn't plan to stop there -- her wish would be to have organ donation registration accessible and easy at every school -- and more.\nThough Riggle and Glasscock are two of Buzan's immediate motivators, she's also thinking of herself -- and about her own philosophy on life.\n"Ultimately I'll be happy to give my body to organ donation -- but I have at least 20 years left," Buzan said. "Do I want to stay in my safe, risk-free life, or do I want to get out and do something?"\nThe answer is simple.\n"I want to live large," she said.\n— Contact health and science editor Kelly Phillips at kephilli@indiana.edu.
