OMAHA, Neb. (WOWO) — A 100-year-old World War II veteran from Nebraska has made history as the oldest organ donor in the United States after his liver was successfully transplanted following his death. Dale Steele, who was born in Ainsworth, Nebraska, died after suffering a head injury in February and being placed on life support. His family said they were initially surprised when an Omaha-based organ procurement organization suggested he could still help save a life. “‘We’d like your dad to donate his liver,’” Steele’s son, Roger Steele, recalled being told. “When she said that, I said, ‘He’s over 100 years old.’” Medical officials explained that age is not always the most important factor in determining whether an organ can be donated. According to Live On Nebraska, the organization that facilitated the transplant, the liver has a unique ability to regenerate cells throughout a person’s life. Dr. Lee Morrow, the group’s chief medical officer, said that constant renewal means the functional age of the organ can be much younger than the donor. “Your liver is about 3 years old, my liver is about 3 years old and that 100-year-old donor, his liver was about 3 years old,” Morrow said. Advances in transplant medicine have also expanded the pool of possible donors. Techniques such as warm blood perfusion — which helps preserve organs after donation, have been used on kidneys for years and more recently applied to other organs, including livers. “Just a few years ago, we really weren’t doing organ donors over 65,” Morrow said. Steele lived a long life marked by service and hard work. During World War II, he helped liberate concentration camps and later stood guard during the Nuremberg Trials. “He was a gentleman in the full sense of the word,” Roger Steele said. Much of Steele’s life was spent working in agriculture. His son believes that physically demanding lifestyle — along with meals built around vegetables from the family garden, played a role in his father’s longevity. “He came from an age when people worked very hard,” he said. Steele was married for 72 years and remained active well into his later years. The Steele family has not yet heard directly from the person who received Dale Steele’s liver, but they were told the transplant was successful and the recipient was able to leave the hospital just five days later. Roger Steele said the experience changed how he thinks about organ donation and he now plans to sign up as a donor himself. The previous record for the oldest known organ donor in the United States belonged to 98-year-old Orville Allen of Missouri. According to reporting from WPTA-TV, Steele’s donation is now believed to be the oldest on record in the country. More information about becoming an organ donor is available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at organdonor.gov. The post 100-year-Old World War II Veteran Becomes Oldest Organ Donor in U.S. History appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less