Mark Outland Story in CDT - Man Urges Students to Save a Life

Man Urges Students to Save a Life

Penn State blood drive is all about heart, says volunteer who need need transplant

By Nichole Dobo - University Park — He sits behind a table, making small talk with people wailing to donate blood, handing them paperwork, chatting with other volunteers.

Mark Outland seems to pay little attention to the tubes that wrap around his face, feeding him oxygen. He moves quickly in his wheel-chair, maneuvering around corners and through tight spares as though he has been doing so all life.

He has not. Outland has congestive heart failure, the same condition that killed his father five years ago. He’s been using the wheelchair for a few months, since his condition advanced to the point that walking or standing for even a short time became exhausting.

Although he cannot give blood, he volunteers, at the Penn State-Michigan State Blood Donor Challenge, a friendly annual competition to see which school can collect the most pints of blood.

One of those pinht, hr said. may be used to saw his life.

Since the drive began Nov 3, he's shown up often. working hours on end, doing whatever is needed, said Wendi Keeler, of the Centre Communities Chapter of the American Red Cross.

"He has so many other activities going on”, Keeler said. “I don't even know how he makes time for us."

But this is important. Outland insists.

"You can make a big difference in my life," Outland said. Ibis is not just about beating Michigan (State).

Outland was living in Fayetteville, N.C. near his parents working odd jobs, including doing "a little bit of everything for a catering service. Then. in 1999, his parents died — his father of heart failure, his mother of colon cancer.

The grief was unbearable. He said he "needed to get away.”

With little more than a dream of attending Penn State and a letter of recommendation from the caterer for whom he'd worked, he came to State College.

He appears to be in his late 30s, but he hesitates to give his age. "Just describe me as a young, big, bald guy,” he said, blushing.

A learning disability makes class work difficult, but he wanted to get into Penn State because of the reputation of its hotel, restaurant and institutional management program. He enjoyed his catering work and wants to eventually work in the hospitality industry, he said.

But when he arrived Happy Volley, he found he couldn't afford the hefty out-of-state tuition.

Disheartened, he moved to Newmanstown, where he found Jean Amoure, his "adopter mother” at Faith Community Church

"He just blew me away, because he needed a mom," Amoure said. "He's such a wonderful guy. I'm not sure what the lord has in store for him."

Members of the church convinced Outland that taking their help was not a "poverty thing," Amoure said. About a year later, Outland tried to get into Penn State again and obtained financial aid to cover tuition costs. He was accepted as a provisional student.

His heart condition no longer allows him to work, so he pays his rent with Social Security disability checks.

"I struggle a lot," he said, "but I feel like it is worth it more now."

Outland ticks off a long list of people who have helped him since he came to Centre County. A member of Christ Community Church who supplied him with a cell phone. A State College police officer who helped him weave through the crowded sidewalks during the homecoming parade. An academic adviser who took him to dinner. A fraternity that accepted him.

He was initiated Saturday into Theta Chi, an alcohol-free fraternity.

Dressed in a crisp scarlet shirt emblazoned with his new Greek letters, he talked about scavenger hunts, homecoming and his new "brothers" in a hurried, excited voice.

"It just blows me away that they would want me," he said. "They are a great bunch of guys. They don't care if I'm sick or if I can't get around. They care about me."

Jacob Wolf, president of Theta Chi and Outland's big brother at the fraternity, met Outland during recruitment. He was impressed by Outland's "positive outlook on life — even after all his problems." he said.

With a welcoming circle of friends, Outland has found a home in Happy Valley.

"He has just really made him-self part of the community in State College," Keeler said.

Outland underwent surgery for his heart condition earlier this semester. He may eventually need a heart transplant, one of the few options for someone in the advanced staged of congestive heart failure. The idea terrifies him.

"It's just getting worse and worse," he said of his health. "I have so many dreams — dreams that might never come true."

He said his doctor has told him he could be put on the heart-transplant list as soon as the new year but Outland must do his part. He is working to keep his high blood pressure in check and remembering to take his medications.

Working as a greeter at the blood drives, Outland said, is his way of saying thank you to the person who may help save the new life he has made for himself.

"When I have that heart transplant, I will need blood." he said. "I can't get it without blood."

After arriving at the blood drive Monday afternoon, Outland offered each person a friendly smile. He appeared to be full of energy, but he reluctantly admitted that he is feeling drained.

"People who came out here found the time," he said. "I want to do something in return so I find the energy, I find the time."

Download PDF of the Centre Daily Times Story - Nov. 16, 2004