100-Year-Old Veteran Becomes Oldest Organ Donor in U.S. History

A 100-year-old World War II veteran from Nebraska has made history by becoming the oldest organ donor in the United States. Dale Steele, who suffered a head injury in February 2026, was placed on life support before his family received a surprising proposal from an organ procurement organization.

His son, Roger Steele, expressed his astonishment when Live On Nebraska suggested that his father could donate his liver. “When they said, ‘We’d like your dad to donate his liver,’ I thought, ‘He’s over 100 years old,’” Roger recalled.

Life and Legacy of Dale Steele

Born in Ainsworth, Nebraska, Dale Steele’s life was marked by dedication and resilience. He served valiantly during World War II, where he participated in the liberation of concentration camps and stood guard during the Nuremberg Trials. “He was a gentleman in the full sense of the word,” Roger reflected, emphasizing his father’s strong character.

Dale’s longevity is attributed to a lifestyle filled with hard work and homegrown nutrition. Throughout his life, he worked in agriculture and maintained a garden that provided fresh vegetables for his family. “He came from an age when people worked very hard, and I think that’s a substitute for fitness as we define it today,” Roger noted.

Medical Insights on Organ Donation

According to Live On Nebraska, age is less significant than overall health when it comes to organ donation. Dr. Lee Morrow, the organization’s chief medical officer, explained that the liver’s remarkable ability to regenerate cells means that a donor’s liver effectively ages at a much slower rate. “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 stated, highlighting the organ’s unique properties.

Innovations in medical techniques, such as warm blood perfusion, have expanded the criteria for organ donors. This method, previously used for kidneys, has recently been applied to livers, allowing for older candidates to be considered viable donors. “If you go back in time just a few years ago, we weren’t really doing organ donors over 65,” Morrow added.

The Steele family has yet to connect with the recipient of Dale Steele’s liver but has learned that the transplant was successful, allowing the recipient to return home just five days post-surgery. Roger Steele expressed how this experience has shifted his perspective on organ donation, and he now intends to register as a donor himself.

For those interested in becoming organ donors, further information is available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Transplantation at organdonor.gov.

This remarkable story not only highlights the legacy of a dedicated veteran but also sheds light on the evolving landscape of organ donation, which continues to save lives across the country. Prior to Dale Steele, the record for the oldest organ donor was held by Orville Allen, a 98-year-old from Missouri.