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Life-saving Liver Recovered From Heroic 95-year-old Organ Donor; Recipient Recovering Well

PITTSBURGH – May 10, 2021 – The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) announced Monday that it recovered the liver from the oldest recorded organ donor in United States history, as confirmed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The recipient of this incredible gift, a woman in her 60s, is doing well.

The monumental gift came from 95-year-old Cecil F. Lockhart of Welch, W.Va., reaffirming CORE’s internal mantra and commitment to honor “every donor, every time.” The mantra captures the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-winning organization’s commitment to Saving and Healing as many lives as possible within its service area spanning western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, New York.

“CORE is incredibly proud to have been able to make this historic organ donation possible,” said Susan Stuart, CORE president & CEO. “This landmark in the field of transplantation is just another example of CORE’s pioneering legacy and commitment to innovation, which, over the last 40 years, has given 6,000 people in the United States the opportunity to save more than 15,000 others as organ donors.”

Cecil’s family said he was moved to become an organ donor following the death of his son, Stanley, in 2010, after which Stanley healed the lives of 75 people through tissue donation and restored sight to two others through cornea donation. Cecil is survived by Helen Cline Lockhart, his “best girl” and loving wife of 75 years, his daughter, Sharon White, and his son, Brian Lockhart, as well as three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.  

“He was a generous person when he was alive, and we are filled with pride and hope knowing that, even after a long, happy life, he is able to continue that legacy of generosity,” Cecil’s daughter, Sharon White, said. “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.”

Cecil was born in Short Pole, W.Va. in 1926, the sixth of seven children. He was a proud coal miner working the mines in West Virginia for more than 50 years. Cecil served as a corporal in the United States Army during World War II.

According to Bill Davis, Cecil’s son-in-law, Cecil was very proud to be a veteran: “Just as he fought for our country’s freedom 75 years ago in World War II, he would be proud to know that he’s fighting for someone else today, as an organ donor.” Bill said that at Cecil’s funeral, which included full military honors, the family asked everyone to register as an organ donor to honor Cecil’s memory.

More than 30% of all deceased organ donors in the United States since 1988 have been age 50 or older, according to UNOS data. And it’s a trend that’s rising. So far in 2021, 39% of all U.S. deceased organ donors have been age 50 or older. That’s up more than 8% from just 20 years ago. Seven percent of deceased organ donors since 1988 have been age 65 or older. In the last 20 years, 17 people over age 90 have died and become organ donors in the United States, with the first instance occurring in 2001.

The record-breaking donation in West Virginia remarkably took place during Older Americans Month, which is observed in the United States every May to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to the country. UNOS Chief Medical Officer David Klassen said that Cecil’s contribution is indeed significant – and one that each and every American has the power to achieve as well by registering as a donor.

“Too often, people mistakenly believe there is an age limit associated with being an organ donor,” said Klassen. “The truth is, no one is ever too old or too young to give the gift of life. Every potential donor is evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the time of their death to determine which organs and tissue are suitable for donation. Cecil’s generous and historic gift is a perfect example of that.”

According to his family, “Cecil was kind and loving. He greeted everyone with a huge smile, a kind word and a big hug. He will be missed.” They say that in addition to being an adoring Paw-Paw to his great grandchildren, he was an animal lover and leaves behind many “special friends” including four birds, Fred, Caesar, Heckle and Jekyll; two dogs, Cephas and Molly; and a cat, Casper.

In addition to this latest record broken under CORE, the organization also achieved a record-breaking year for organ donation in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 2020. Still, the need for donors remains critical. Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the national transplant waiting list. More than 107,000 people are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in the United States, with nearly 2,500 waiting in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia alone. Yet, only half of Pennsylvanians and a third of West Virginians are registered as organ donors.

One person can save the lives of eight by donating organs and heal the lives of 75 through tissue donation. Anyone can sign up to be a donor, regardless of age or medical history. Register as an organ, tissue and cornea donor today at core.org/register.

About CORE:

The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 57 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States, serving more than five million people in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, New York. CORE coordinates the recovery and matching of organs, tissues and corneas for transplant within our service region and works tirelessly to create a culture of donation within the hospitals and communities we serve. CORE’s mission is to Save and Heal lives through donation, ultimately ending the deaths of those on the transplant waiting list, while maintaining integrity for the donation process, dignity for the donors, and compassion for their families. CORE is a winner of the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a presidential-level award that recognizes non-profits for their innovation and excellence. For more information, visit core.org or call 1-800-DONORS-7. 

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