An MU employee changed not only a friend’s life with an organ donation, but also the university’s time-off policy for donors.
Ryan Fjell was drawn to a social media post by a former co-worker’s daughter.
kAmr@\H@C<6C #@86C u2?8>2? 92D DECF88=65 H:E9 <:5?6J 5:D62D6 7@C D6G6? J62CD] p 4@FA=6 J62CD 28@[ 9:D 52F89E6C A@DE65 @? u2463@@<[ 9@A:?8 E@ 7:?5 96C 72E96C’D >2E49 7@C 2 <:5?6J 5@?@C]k^Am
kAm“%H@ J62CD 28@[ >J 962=E9 925 7:?2==J 56E6C:@C2E65 72C 6?@F89 E92E E96J H2?E65 E@ AFE >6 @? E96 <:5?6J 5@?@C =:DE 2?5 E@=5 >6 E@ =@@< 7@C 2 =:G:?8 5@?@C 3642FD6 E92E H@F=5 36 2 =@E 962=E9:6C[” u2?8>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAmu;6== 2?5 u2?8>2? FD65 E@ H@C< E@86E96C 2E E96 q@@?G:==6 r@CC64E:@?2= r6?E6C]k^Am
kAmu;6==[ H9@ ?@H H@C<D 2E |&’D #6D62C49 #624E@C[ 76=E 4@>A6==65 3J E96 A@DE]k^Am
kAm“w:D <:5?6J H2D D9FEE:?8 5@H? 2?5 D=@H=J 72:=:?8[ 3FE 96 H2D?’E @? 5:2=JD:D J6E[” u;6== 6IA=2:?65] “x H2D 9@A:?8 E@ 86E E96 AC@46DD 5@?6 367@C6 96 925 E@ 8@ @? 5:2=JD:D[ H9:49 H6 >2?2865 E@ 5@[ H9:49 H2D 8C62E]”k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ H6C6 C625J E@ 8:G6 E96 DFC86CJ 2 8@ H96? #J2? u;6== C2? :?E@ @?6 :DDF6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 D:I\H66< C64@G6CJ 7@C E96 5@?@C H96? E96J 5@ E96 <:5?6J EC2?DA=2?E[ 2?5 x 8@E E@ =@@< 2E H92E E96C6 H2D 2G2:=23=6 7@C =62G6 E:>6[” u;6== D2:5]k^Am
kAm#J2? u;6== ?66565 A2:5 E:>6 @77 :7 96 H6C6 E@ 8@ E9C@F89 H:E9 E96 DFC86CJ[ 2?5 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:DD@FC: 5:5 ?@E @776C E92E E@ 6>A=@J66D 2E E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm“x 7@F?5 2 DE2E6 =2H @? E96 3@@<D E92E 2== DE2E6 6>A=@J66D H:== 86E FA E@ b_ H@C<:?8 52JD @7 A2:5 =62G6 7@C =:G:?8 @C82? 5@?2E:@?[” u;6== D2:5] “x 4@?E24E65 E96 w# 56A2CE>6?E[ 2?5 E96J E@=5 >6[ F?7@CEF?2E6=J[ H6 5:5 ?@E 72== F?56C E92E]”k^Am
kAmu;6== H2D 56E6C>:?65 E@ 96=A u2?8>2? 2?5 4@?E24E65 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ w# 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAm“x 2D<65 E96> :7 E96C6 2?JE9:?8 H6 42? 5@ @C :7 E96C6 H2D 2?J@?6 x 4@F=5 E2=< E@[ 2?5 E96J D2:5 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ 564:565 2 =@?8 E:>6 28@ E92E H6 H6C6?’E 8@:?8 E@ 36 F?56C E9:D A@=:4J[” u;6== D2:5]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE DE2CE65 >2<:?8 A9@?6 42==D 2?5 D6?5:?8 6>2:=D 2?5 ;FDE H@C<:?8 >J H2J FA E96 492:?[” 96 4@?E:?F65] “tG6CJ3@5J x E2=<65 E@ D2:5 E92E D@F?5D =:<6 2 8C62E :562[ 3FE E96J 4@F=5 ?@E 96=A >6]”k^Am
kAmu;6== 7:?2==J 564:565 E@ 6>2:= &| $JDE6> !C6D:56?E |F? r9@:]k^Am
kAm“w6 6>2:=65 >6 324< H:E9:? 2 4@FA=6 @7 9@FCD — x H2D 24EF2==J C62==J 2>2K65 2E 9@H 72DE 96 8@E 324< E@ >6 — 2?5 96 D2:5 E92E :E D@F?5D =:<6 2 8C62E :562[” u;6== D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 &| q@2C5 @7 rFC2E@CD 2AAC@G65 E96 ?6H A@=:4J :? }@G6>36C @7 a_`h]k^Am
kAmu2?8>2? 2?5 u;6== H6C6 2>2K65 2E E96 2>@F?E @7 H@C< &?:G6CD:EJ w@DA:E2= AFE :? E@ >2<6 E96 AC@465FC6 92AA6?]k^Am
kAmp &?:G6CD:EJ w@DA:E2= @77:4:2= E@=5 z~|& g E92E E96 <:5?6J EC2?DA=2?E H2D E96 7:CDE =:G:?8 5@?@C EC2?DA=2?E E92E 9@DA:E2= =6256CD 76=E H2D D276 2?5 C62D@?23=6 E@ AC@4665 H:E9 5FC:?8 E96 62C=J A92D6D @7 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4]k^Am
kAm“|2CJ q6E9 $E6G6?D 2?5 z2E9J pD932F89 H6C6 E96 EH@ 4@@C5:?2E@CD E92E H@C<65 H:E9 #@86C 2?5 >6[ 2?5 E96 2>@F?E @7 H@C< E92E E96J 92G6 E@ 5@ E@ @C82?:K6 2== E96 5@4E@CD[ 2== E96 E6DED[ 2== E96 D4C66?D 2?5 3C:?8 E9:D H9@=6 E9:?8 E@86E96C :D F?36=:6G23=6[” u;6== D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96 4@@C5:?2E@CD 2C6 ECF=J 2>2K:?8[” u2?8>2? 25565] “%96 H@C< 8@6D E9C@F89 D6G6C2= DFC86@?Dj E96? E96J D6?5 2== E96 :?7@C>2E:@? @FE E@ E9:C5 A2CE:6D E92E 2C6 ?@E :?G@=G65 H:E9 E96 AC@46DD 2E 2==[ E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E E96:C 5@4E@CD 5:5?’E >:DD 2?JE9:?8]”k^Am
kAm|2C< (2<67:6=5 A6C7@C>65 E96 EC2?DA=2?E 2E &?:G6CD:EJ w@DA:E2=]k^Am
kAm“%96 564:D:@? E@ 36 2 =:G:?8 5@?@C 92D 2 =@E @7 4@?D6BF6?46D[” (2<67:6=5 D2:5] “w6 25G@42E65 7@C 9:>D6=7[ 2?5 @E96C A@E6?E:2= 5@?@CD[ 2?5 7@C C64:A:6?ED E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6 3J =625:?8 2 492C86 E@ 492?86 2?5 :>AC@G6 E96 E:>6 @77]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C #@86C u2?8>2?’D DFC86CJ[ 96 92D 2 =@E @7 8C2E:EF56 E@H2C5 “E96 >65:42= DE277[ F?:G6CD:EJ 7@C >J 6I46==6?E 42C6 2?5 96=A:?8 >6 86E 9@>6 2?5 86E >6 E9C@F89 E9:D] |J 72>:=J 3642FD6 x 4@F=5?’E 92G6 5@?6 :E H:E9@FE E96> 2?5 >J 8C2?5D@? 42?’E 96=A 3FE 766= 36EE6C 2C@F?5 9:>] %96 6?6C8J 96 AFED @FE]”k^Am
kAm%96 DFC86CJ H2D DF446DD7F=[ 2?5 E96J 3@E9 2C6 C64@G6C:?8 H6==] %96 EH@ @=5 7C:6?5D 92G6 2 A=2? 27E6C u2?8>2? :D 7F==J C64@G6C65] %96J H2?E E@ 2EE6?5 2 ?@?AC@7:E’D 7F?5C2:D6C 2E E96 {2<6 @7 E96 ~K2C<D]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ J62C E96J H@F=5 A2CE:4:A2E6 H:E9 E96:C 4@\H@C<6CD 7C@> E96 4@CC64E:@?2= 46?E6C 2E E96 2??F2= $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D !@=2C !=F?86j E96J D92C65 2 >FEF2= =@G6 7@C 96=A:?8 49:=5C6? H9@ 92G6 DA64:2= ?665D]k^Am