NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — The Hamilton County Coroner is joining a now-nationwide effort to reduce waste and save lives through a University of Michigan research program. Typically, when a pacemaker is removed on an autopsy table, it'll be collected for evidence and stored, or in some cases, discarde d. Coroner Jeff Jellison, however, said an IU Health cardiologist recently made him aware of a pacemaker recycling program. "When people think about the coroner's office, they think about death," said Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison. "This is an opportunity for our office to change the perception of coroners." When Jellison heard he could donate the used pacemakers piling up on his evidence shelves, he jumped at the chance. "This is the first program that I've heard of that is repurposing devices, medical devices, from deceased individuals," Jellison said. "To know that you participated in a program that is helping people stay healthier, helping save lives, that's just as rewarding as anything can be." Researchers at the University of Michigan have spent the past decade streamlining a process for funeral homes, coroners and families to make a difference via the "My Heart, Your Heart" project. The team evaluates and re-sterilizes pacemakers, and with FDA approval, sends them to patients in low and middle-income countries around the world. "This simple little device ... just goes right under your skin, and their symptoms are relieved almost immediately," said Eric Puroll, University of Michigan senior clinical research coordinator and My Heart, Your Heart project manager. "It's really about elongating the lives of those who have passed, and it is a way for them to live on by helping those in need who would pass away without the care." Puroll said donated pacemakers are now coming to his organization from all 50 states, and he has no plans to slow down. "I think we're really just scratching the surface on what can be reconditioned and what can possibly be reused to help those who can't afford the care otherwise," Puroll said. “The sky is the limit. We are working on pacemakers now. We want to do ICDs in the future. We want to show that using CRTs is possible, which are complete resynchronization therapy devices.” Carmel resident Tess Kossow knows all too well what it's like to need this kind of technology to survive. She suffered a sudden cardiac arrest five years ago at just 37 years old. "My son was 2, and my husband almost became a single father overnight," Kossow said. To Kossow, the idea of one day paying it forward with her defibrillator is anything but morbid — it's a gift. "As someone who signed up as an organ donor, I kind of feel like this falls in the same thing," Kossow said. "And as a mother, as a wife, I feel this is a great way for me to leave an unknown legacy. I think it's a beautiful thing, and it's an honor to be in a state, in a county that's participating in this." Jellison recently partnered with a local funeral home to make an initial donation of 30 pacemakers — the first of many to come from Hamilton County. He said roughly 50 pacemakers are removed locally each year. "This is an opportunity for the State of Indiana to make a huge impact on this program," Jellison added. Jellison is encouraging other Indiana coroners and funeral homes to follow suit in hopes of saving as many lives as possible. More information on My Heart, Your Heart is available here. ...read more read less