ST. LOUIS (AP) — Orville Allen dedicated his life to public health, but when he died at age 98, he left one thing behind: his liver.
Allen, a World War II and Korean War veteran and longtime educator from rural southeast Missouri, is the oldest American to donate an organ, transplant organizations said. He died May 29 and his liver was successfully transplanted into a 72-year-old woman, according to the organization. Migration from Central America.
Allen's daughter, Linda Mitchell, said Allen had been in good health until he fell while cleaning up storm debris at his Poplar Bluff, Missouri, home on May 27. He hit the back of his head and was airlifted to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.
The swelling around Allen's brain wouldn't go away, and as his family prepared to say goodbye, hospital staff asked a question: Would they consider donating his liver?
The question surprised Allen's family, given his age, but surgeons examined him and determined his organs were suitable for transplant.
Knowing their father's character – always the first to check on people and go to the doorstep of a neighbor in need – the siblings didn't hesitate.
“The sadness of losing my father has given way to a small joy in knowing he's continuing to do what he did his whole life,” Mitchell said. “He's given me another gift.”
Until now, Cecil Lockhart of West Virginia was the oldest person to donate his organs posthumously. Organ Retrieval and Education CenterHe orchestrated the recovery of his liver. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 95, and his liver was successfully transplanted into a woman.
Evidence suggests that more people than ever before are getting new organs. Unified Network for Organ DonationUNOS, or United Nations Organization of the Surgeons of the United Nations, is a nonprofit organization that has run the transplant system under government contract for nearly 40 years. According to UNOS, last year was the highest year ever for organ donations, with more than 16,000 deceased donations and more than 46,000 organ transplants performed. The number of liver transplants exceeded 10,000 for the first time.
Still, more than 100,000 people are on the national waiting list for new organs, and many of them will die while waiting. The need is so great that scientists Considering alternatives To alleviate the continuing shortage, Richard “Rick” Suleiman of Massachusetts earlier this year First Recipient Genetically modified pig kidneys Died 2 months after transplant.
Kevin Lee, president and CEO of MidAmerica Transplant, said older people are increasingly being able to donate their organs after death.
“We've seen advances in medicine, so over the past five years we've been educating our nurses and hospital staff to help the medical team and transplant doctors assess each individual's medical eligibility, rather than just thinking about age when making referral calls,” Lee said.
Two years ago, a liver was taken from a 90-year-old donor in the Mid-America region, which includes eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and northeastern Arkansas, Lee said. Last fall, livers were received from two men, ages 88 and 84.
“Livers are resilient. We receive liver donations from people of all ages,” Lee said.
UNOS spokeswoman Ann Paschke said about 12% of deceased organ donors in the first four months of the year were people 65 or older.
“Older organ donations can be successful and provide life-saving benefits to transplant recipients,” Dr. David Klassen, UNOS' chief medical officer, said in a statement. But the effects of aging vary by organ, he said. In fact, many transplant centers won't consider hearts from older donors.
Allen was a lifelong resident of southeast Missouri. He served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II and in the Artillery Signal Corps with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean War. After the war, he spent 27 years in the Army Reserves, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.
He also farmed for about 40 years and taught vocational agriculture at Neelyville High School near Poplar Bluff. He and his wife of 70 years, Geraldine, who died in 2019, had three children, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He ultimately chose not to register as an organ donor, but his family said they hope his story will inspire more people to do so.
In fact, they say, that's already happening.
“A lot of former students and friends who attended the wake and funeral were like, 'Hey, I'm going to put the donor's name on my driver's license right now,'” Mitchell said.
One of Orville's sons, Greg Allen, said the donation of his father's organs was uplifting at such a sad time.
“For me, it's just a wonderful thing to be able to help someone else, anyone, extend life for their family,” Greg Allen said.
