Two hours after Dale Steele (above with wife Doris) passed away, his son received a call. The circle of life was spinning and Dale’s legacy would soon live on. Even at 100 years old, his liver was 100% healthy and could be donated. Officials from the organ donation nonprofit Live On Nebraska explained that the way the liver constantly replaces cells and regenerates makes its functional age less than three years old. Steele’s liver was successfully transplanted into a grateful patient, making him the oldest organ donor in U.S. history. “One of the myths we hear out in the community often, is that ‘I’m too old to be an organ donor. I might not be healthy enough to be a donor.’ I think a case like this truly proves that there is no age limit,” said Kyle Herber, President and CEO of Live On Nebraska. So, as Dale’s life was nearing its end in February, the organ donor group inquired about his organs, and the answer was an easy one. “We consented without any hesitation,” said Dale’s son Roger. “We thought, this is the kind of thing — if he were able to be asked — he’d agree to.” According to Herber, more than 100,000 patients in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including nearly 400 in Nebraska alone. It’s estimated that approximately 17 people die every day waiting for a transplant. Dale was able to save at least one of them.
