100-Year-Old Donor Dale Steele’s liver Enables Successful Transplant After Head Injury
USA: A century-old donor from Ainsworth, Nebraska, provided a liver that was used in a successful transplantation after he was placed on life support following a head injury in February. The donor, identified as Dale Steele, spent his life in Nebraska agriculture; his son described a family history of hard work and service. The Steele family has not yet been contacted by the recipient, who was reportedly able to return home just five days after the operation.
Medical teams and donor advocates say the case highlights how evolving organ procurement and preservation techniques are widening the pool of usable organs. Live On Nebraska emphasized that donor health matters more than chronological age, noting that the liver continually renews its cells across a lifetime. Dr. Lee Morrow explained that warm perfusion methods—long used for kidneys—have in recent years been extended to livers, improving assessment and viability and making older donors more feasible for transplantation.
The family’s reaction has been profound: the son said the experience changed his view of donation and that he plans to register as a donor. The narrative of a lifelong Nebraskan whose organ aided another person’s recovery underscores shifts in transplantation practice and the ripple effects on donor families. Medical teams described the procurement as focused on organ quality and patient outcomes rather than age limits.
Transplantation remains a critical public-health challenge: more than 100,000 people are currently on waiting lists in the United States, and roughly 17 people each day do not survive while awaiting an organ. Advocates urge people to register as donors and to inform family members of their wishes so those choices are honored. The Steele case is being held up as an example of how modern techniques can extend the reach of transplantation and save lives.
Video originally published on 2026-03-06 16:52:42
LIVING DONOR GUIDANCE
If this story involves a need for a living donor and you are interested in exploring giving the Gift Of Life to that person, or you just want to explore living donation for someone in need, click below to get started.
Or copy and paste this link into your browser:
https://nkr.donorscreen.org/register/now?src=txpnews
For reference, copy and save this story’s URL in the address bar if you are exploring donating to the person featured.
Thank you for considering becoming a living donor and giving the Gift Of Life. 💚
All potential donors undergo medical evaluation to determine eligibility.
