The liver of a 98-year-old man was donated. He is considered the oldest American organ donor of all time

ST. LOUIS — Orville Allen lived a lifetime of service, and when he died at age 98, he had one last thing to give: his liver.

Allen, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War and longtime educator in rural southeast Missouri, is the oldest American to donate an organ, transplant organizations said. He died on May 29 and his liver was successfully transplanted into a 72-year-old woman, according to Transplant in Central America.

Allen was in good health until he suffered a fall while picking up storm debris at his home in Poplar Bluff, Mo., on May 27, said his daughter, Linda Mitchelle. He hit the back of the head and was flown to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

The swelling around Allen’s brain could not be cured. As the family prepared to say goodbye, hospital staff asked: Would they consider donating his liver?

Given Allen’s age, it was a question that caught family members by surprise. But surgeons examined it and determined the organ was acceptable for transplant.

Knowing their father’s nature – always the first to check on people, always at the door of a neighbor in need – the brothers didn’t hesitate.

“It went from being such a sad loss for our dad to a little ray of joy because he was doing what he did all his life,” Mitchelle said. “He was giving yet another gift.”

Previously, Cecil Lockhart of West Virginia was the oldest person to donate an organ after death, according to the Organ Recovery Center & Education, who coordinated the recovery of his liver. He was 95 years old when he died in 2021 and his liver was successfully transplanted into a woman.

More people than ever are receiving new organs, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS, a nonprofit organization that has managed the transplant system under government contract for nearly four decades. Last year was a record year for deceased donations – more than 16 thousand – and for the number of organ transplants performed – more than 46 thousand – according to UNOS. Liver transplants surpassed 10,000 for the first time.

Still, more than 100,000 people are on the national list for a new organ and many will die waiting. The need is so great that scientists are working on alternatives to alleviate ongoing shortages. Earlier this year in Massachusetts, Richard “Rick” Slayman became the first recipient from a genetically modified pig kidney. He died two months after the transplant.

Increasingly, seniors are able to donate organs after death, said Kevin Lee, president and CEO of Mid-America Transplant.

“As we have seen advances in medical science, we have over the last five years educated nurses and hospital staff to not think about age when requesting these references, but to actually allow our medical team and transplant doctors to evaluate eligibility. doctor. of each individual,” said Lee.

Two years ago, a liver was purchased from a 90-year-old donor in the Central American region, which includes eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and northeast Arkansas, Lee said. Last fall, the livers were donated by a person aged 88 and another aged 84.

The liver “is resilient. We see liver donations at all ages,” Lee said.

About 12% of deceased organ donors in the first four months of this year were people 65 and older, said UNOS spokeswoman Anne Paschke.

“Organ donation at older ages can be successful and provide life-saving benefits to recipients,” said Dr. David Klassen, UNOS chief medical officer, in a statement. But the impact of aging varies by organ, he said. In fact, many transplant centers do not consider hearts from elderly donors.

Allen was a lifelong resident of southeast Missouri. He was an Army Air Corps pilot in World War II, then served in artillery communications with the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division in the Korean War. After the wars, he spent 27 years in the Army Reserve, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

He also farmed and taught vocational agriculture at Neelyville High School near Poplar Bluff for nearly four decades. He and his wife of 70 years, Geraldine, who passed away in 2019, had three children, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He never signed up to be an organ donor, but the family said they hope his story encourages more people to register.

In fact, they said, it already happened.

“A lot of people at the visitation and the funeral, who were alumni and friends, said, ‘You know what? I’m going to put donor on my driver’s license right now,’” Mitchelle said.

Greg Allen, one of Orville’s sons, said the ability to donate his father’s organ was uplifting at an otherwise sad time.

“For me, it’s wonderful to be able to help someone else, anyone else, extend the life of their family,” said Greg Allen.