A 97-year-old Pennsylvania woman has made history as the state’s oldest organ donor and the third oldest in U.S. history.A final gift of lifePeggy Fields, a lifelong volunteer from western Pennsylvania, donated her liver upon her death, giving life to a woman in Florida.Her family and the Center for Organ Recovery and Education hope her story inspires others to sign up as donors during National Donate Life Month.“She was always volunteering and giving. So, this was her final way to give. So that’s what I think. It makes me very proud,” said her daughter, Linda Kirk.A life of serviceFields spent her life giving back, serving others through her church, community and historical societies, and as a Girl Scout leader in Plum, Pennsylvania.Kirk said her mother changed the lives of many young girls for the better and chose to become a donor later in life as one more way to help others.Age is not a barrierInitially, Kirk was skeptical about the value of her mother’s organs at age 97, but she was proven wrong.“Her liver, so that went to a woman here in Florida. And there were other things that they gathered, but the organ was the liver,” Kirk said. “I was just like, that’s something that everybody should know, that you don’t have to be a young spring chicken to donate something. That you can be, you know, 97, and donate something to somebody who really needs it.” CORE said Fields’ story helps dispel the myth that people can be too old to donate, even organs as vital as the liver.“They want to know that, you know, the last thing they do in their life would be to do something for somebody else and to give their own families this legacy. They just think that they’re too old,” said Katelynn Metz of CORE.A historic distinction“The oldest is actually one 100 years old now from Nebraska. But Peggy holds the distinction of being Pennsylvania’s oldest donor, the oldest female donor in history, and the third oldest donor in the history, just all together,” Metz added.A message for National Donate Life MonthDuring National Donate Life Month, Kirk hopes her mother’s story encourages others to say yes to donation.“It’s a really good thing. And I think, you know, people should just … go ahead and do it,” Kirk said.One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and tissue and cornea donation can heal and improve the lives of many more.
A 97-year-old Pennsylvania woman has made history as the state’s oldest organ donor and the third oldest in U.S. history.
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A final gift of life
Peggy Fields, a lifelong volunteer from western Pennsylvania, donated her liver upon her death, giving life to a woman in Florida.
Her family and the Center for Organ Recovery and Education hope her story inspires others to sign up as donors during National Donate Life Month.
“She was always volunteering and giving. So, this was her final way to give. So that’s what I think. It makes me very proud,” said her daughter, Linda Kirk.
A life of service
Fields spent her life giving back, serving others through her church, community and historical societies, and as a Girl Scout leader in Plum, Pennsylvania.
Kirk said her mother changed the lives of many young girls for the better and chose to become a donor later in life as one more way to help others.
Age is not a barrier
Initially, Kirk was skeptical about the value of her mother’s organs at age 97, but she was proven wrong.
“Her liver, so that went to a woman here in Florida. And there were other things that they gathered, but the organ was the liver,” Kirk said. “I was just like, that’s something that everybody should know, that you don’t have to be a young spring chicken to donate something. That you can be, you know, 97, and donate something to somebody who really needs it.”
CORE said Fields’ story helps dispel the myth that people can be too old to donate, even organs as vital as the liver.
“They want to know that, you know, the last thing they do in their life would be to do something for somebody else and to give their own families this legacy. They just think that they’re too old,” said Katelynn Metz of CORE.
A historic distinction
“The oldest is actually one 100 years old now from Nebraska. But Peggy holds the distinction of being Pennsylvania’s oldest donor, the oldest female donor in history, and the third oldest donor in the history, just all together,” Metz added.
A message for National Donate Life Month
During National Donate Life Month, Kirk hopes her mother’s story encourages others to say yes to donation.
“It’s a really good thing. And I think, you know, people should just … go ahead and do it,” Kirk said.
One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and tissue and cornea donation can heal and improve the lives of many more.
