PITTSFIELD — Barry Deane believes in recycling. But he doesn’t deal in paper or plastic. Deane wants body parts.

As one of several Maine representatives of the New England Organ Bank, Deane distributes a bumper sticker: “Recycle yourself. Be an organ donor.”

Deane said he got into “this business” 11 years ago “and not by choice.” As a recipient of a donated kidney, he knowns firsthand the benefits of organ donation. More recently, problems with the new kidney have brought him new involvement with organ donation, and association with the New England Organ Bank.

Illness struck Deane while he was serving with the U.S. Air Force at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

“I thought it was the flu or food poisoning. But I just couldn’t shake it,” he said. “I came home to Maine with some buddies to go hunting. I was so sick I couldn’t even get up.”

Returning to McGuire for testing, he was transferred to Andrews Air Force Base where he ultimately was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. He said exposure to chemicals in his work had created growths and a blockage that in effect “killed” his kidney.

“They told me it was just a matter of time before I went on dialysis. Needless to say, the military didn’t want me anymore,” he said.

He ended his military service at age 22 on the temporary disability retirement list. After marrying and moving home to Maine, it wasn’t long before his kidney failed. One of the estimated 45,000 people in this country born annually with only one kidney, Deane’s failure made him a candidate for dialysis and an eventual transplant.

The wait for a kidney 11 years ago was not long, not like it is today, he said. But Deane contracted a blood infection which shut down his liver and started “killing my kidney. I have about 40 percent function now. They want me to go on dialysis now, but I’m not ready.”

“They” — the military medical staff — wanted him to start dialysis last year. Deane put it off in the spring to go fishing. In the fall, he was “too busy.” Today, looking forward to the possibility of another transplant, a short time on the organ bank list is not likely, he said.

“There’s a real lack of organs. One of the doctors at Walter Reed (Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.) told me to put up or shut up. I started reading. I came to realize that Maine is one of the least educated on the subject of organ transplant. It’s no longer something they do just in the cities.

“It starts with the (emergency medical technicians). They’ve never been trained to think beyond death. It’s important to maintain body functions — we have the ability to recycle body parts. The key is to let people, your loved ones, know what your wishes are.”

Most people think that the sticker on their driver’s license will guarantee that their organs will be donated and recycled. That doesn’t always happen, Deane said. Many hospitals have coordinators trained to approach family members with the critical question, but in rural areas that may not be the case. Organ donation is not always on a family’s mind in the event of an unexpected death. It is up to the patient to participate, Deane says, by discussing the prospect of an untimely death with family members.

“It’s not an easy decision for some people to make, but what better way to preserve life than to donate an organ to give quality of life back to someone else? It allows a part of your loved one to live on.”

With the coming of spring, Deane said, he will wage a vigorous campaign to educate people in the central Maine area. He will work with local civic groups to circulate information on organ donation, the organ bank, and donation cards for individuals to sign and share with their family. He is looking for volunteers to assist him or for groups that would like to hear about organ donation. Deane may be reached at 487-3864.

“My personal goal is to sign up 2,500 people. But more than that I want to educate them and have them educate their loved ones about what organ donation means and why they want to participate.”

The New England Organ Bank, with headquarters in Brookline, Mass., is the oldest and largest organ bank in the United States. It is an independent not-for-profit agency whose mission is to recover, preserve and distribute human organs and tissues for transplantation. The 24-hour assistance number for Maine residents is 207-871-2000.