Peggy Fields spent her life giving back to her community. And now, even after her death, her daughter says she is still helping someone else live.”She was always volunteering and giving, so this was her final way to give. That’s what I think,” said Fields’ daughter, Linda Kirk. “It makes me very proud.”Upon her death at age 97, Fields became the oldest organ donor in Pennsylvania history and the third-oldest in U.S. history.”Somebody said, well, this is her final volunteer-type thing,” Kirk said. “She was that way all her life, so she was always a volunteer.”Fields was a lifelong volunteer, her daughter said. Many of those years were in the Pittsburgh area.She served others through her church, community, historical societies and as a Girl Scout leader in Plum, changing the lives of many young girls for the better. Age is not a barrierKirk said that her mother chose to become a donor later in life, giving her one more way to help others. She said her mother’s liver was donated to a woman in Florida.”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 97 and donate something to somebody who really needs it,” Kirk said.The Center for Organ Recovery and Education says Fields’ story helps dispel the myth that people can be too old to donate organs.”They want to know that 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.”The oldest is actually a 100-year-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 history just all together,” Metz said. A message for National Donate Life MonthDuring National Donate Life Month, Kirk hopes her mother’s story will encourage others to say yes to donation.”It’s a really good thing, and I think people should just go ahead and do it,” she said.One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and tissue and cornea donations can heal and improve the lives of many more. You can learn more about organ donation and register to become a donor at registerme.org/wtae.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH —

Peggy Fields spent her life giving back to her community. And now, even after her death, her daughter says she is still helping someone else live.

“She was always volunteering and giving, so this was her final way to give. That’s what I think,” said Fields’ daughter, Linda Kirk. “It makes me very proud.”

Upon her death at age 97, Fields became the oldest organ donor in Pennsylvania history and the third-oldest in U.S. history.

“Somebody said, well, this is her final volunteer-type thing,” Kirk said. “She was that way all her life, so she was always a volunteer.”

Fields was a lifelong volunteer, her daughter said. Many of those years were in the Pittsburgh area.

She served others through her church, community, historical societies and as a Girl Scout leader in Plum, changing the lives of many young girls for the better.

Age is not a barrier

Kirk said that her mother chose to become a donor later in life, giving her one more way to help others. She said her mother’s liver was donated to a woman in Florida.

“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 97 and donate something to somebody who really needs it,” Kirk said.

The Center for Organ Recovery and Education says Fields’ story helps dispel the myth that people can be too old to donate organs.

“They want to know that 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.

“The oldest is actually a 100-year-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 history just all together,” Metz said.

A message for National Donate Life Month

During National Donate Life Month, Kirk hopes her mother’s story will encourage others to say yes to donation.

“It’s a really good thing, and I think people should just go ahead and do it,” she said.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and tissue and cornea donations can heal and improve the lives of many more. You can learn more about organ donation and register to become a donor at registerme.org/wtae.

Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.