Who was the oldest person to donate an organ?
Meet Cecil F. Lockhart, a World War II veteran, who was 95 years old when he donated his liver.
Lockhart’s Family and Background
According to Lockhart’s family, his biggest inspiration of becoming an organ donor derived from the death of son, Stanley. In 2010, Stanley healed the lives of 75 people through tissue donation and restored sight to two others through cornea donation.
Furthermore, Lockhart always had this desire to help others as he was a “...very caring and giving man”, according to his son-in-law, Bill Davis. Lockhart believed that his organs would no longer be in use to him after his death, and therefore, deemed it necessary to become a registered organ donor. Bill Davis is a registered organ donor himself and has been urging people to do the same.
His daughter, Sharon White, continues to speak on her brother and father’s donation: “He was a generous person when he was alive, and we are filled with pride and hope knowing that he is able to continue that legacy of generosity. When my brother was a donor after he passed away a few years ago, it helped my dad to heal. And today, knowing his life is continuing through others really is helping us through our grief, too” (Jordan 1).
Cecil Lockhart’s Health
According to his family members, Cecil was in good health at 95; he didn’t smoke nor drink, and the surgeons stated that his liver was in very good condition.
Takeaway
“There’s no reason not to be an organ donor, and he proved that no matter how old you are, you can still be a donor.” -Bill Davis
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