Family Honors Veteran’s Life of Hard Work by Donating His Liver at Age 100

A 100-year-old liver donation is surprising the nation. If you think that a liver that’s lived in someone for an entire century wouldn’t be donor worthy, then you’d be wrong. The donor, Dale Steele, is the oldest donor in U.S. history.

Family Says Yes to 100-year-old’s Liver Donation

RELATED: Woman Saves Her Late Son’s Best Friend’s Mom With a Life-Changing Donation

Dale, who passed on February 11, was a WWII vet who helped liberate concentration camps and served as a guard at the Nuremberg trials.

Despite his age, Dale was healthy. When Live On Nebraska contacted Dale’s family to ask if they would donate his liver, it surprised them.

Live On Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lee Morrow, says livers regenerate cells during the organ’s lifetime. The family agreed to donate the liver, and the transplant was made the following day.

“This is a story about a life of service that didn’t end at death,” Kyle Herber, president and CEO of Live On Nebraska, said. “Mr. Steele lived a full century giving to others, and through donation, that generosity continues in a way that will impact lives for years to come.”

A Beautiful Life

After Dale’s time in the service, he returned home and started a family. 

“Dale met and married Doris Brown, his wife of 72 years,” his obituary stated. “They raised Hereford cattle and Dale worked at the Farmers Co-op in Bassett, NE. He later managed the Farmers Co-op in Pierce, NE and before he retired, he sold irrigation and grain handling equipment for Petersen and Son, Inc in Osmond, NE."

"He had a strong body that was able to carry him through his 100th birthday. I think that came from hard work," his son Roger said. "People from his generation didn't have a notion of exercise. When they went to bed at night, they were tired from having worked hard all day. That was their exercise."

“Dale was always very helpful and considerate of everyone around him, friends and strangers alike,” Dale’s grandson Scott said. “We believe he would do just about anything he could for someone in need.”

Organ Donation was His Final Act of Generosity

The person who received Dale’s liver is out of the hospital and doing well. 

"The great joy I feel in knowing that somebody else was able to benefit from my father's life — even though they're gone, they were able to help somebody else have a lifesaving gift. That's what I'd like people to take from it," Roger said. 

“He would want the acknowledgment [of his act of kindness] to go to the life he saved,” Scott said. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Daughter Sacrifices 65% Of Her Liver To Give Dying Dad A Second Chance

What a wonderful final act of service. Dale was someone who went his whole life helping people, and this was his final act. What a blessing his life was.

WATCH: Family Honors Veteran’s Life of Hard Work by Donating His Liver at Age 100

LISTEN: Quieter Now, but Still a Star: 33-Year-Old Cockatiel Sets World Record | ‘Good Samaritan’ Saves Pregnant Woman From Sinking Car

h/t: People

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WFMY News 2

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.