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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, August 9, 2009

3 people saved by jogger's organs


By Katie Urbaszewski
Advertiser Staff Writer

ORGAN DONATION

People can register to be an organ donor by selecting the option on their driver's license or by visiting www.donatelifehawaii.com. The Web site, unlike a driver's license, allows people to specify which organs they want to donate and which ones they don't.

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The death of Mililani High School teacher Wendy Danielle Davis brought about four organ donations that saved the lives of three people.

Davis, 40, was hit by a car July 14 as she jogged near her Mililani home and died from head injuries, the city medical examiner's office said.

Organ donor officials met with Davis' parents, who decided to honor their daughter's wishes to donate that she had indicated on her driver's license.

Stephen Kula, executive director of the Organ Donor Center of Hawai'i, said donated organs are always in short supply. About 380 people in Hawai'i are on a list to receive a transplant, and 23 people have died recently while waiting, he said.

"We need to save lives," he said. "Being a donor really helps."

Mililani High notified students of the death of their math teacher on the first day of school, and faculty the previous weekend.

"I think at first they were in a state of shock," Principal John Brummel said. "Then I think they realized they had lost an important member of our staff. We're like a family here."

Math department head Russ Robison described Davis as an "outgoing, opinionated" woman who was never afraid to tell people what she thought.

"She was hard-working, dedicated," he said. "She enjoyed the kids a lot. That's really why she was in it."

Robison said Davis, who taught everything from algebra to precalculus, managed her classroom well, and if a student was falling behind, she would always take the extra time to tutor after school.

"You would never hear her yelling at a kid," he said. "It was never necessary."

Originally from Athens, Ohio, Davis came to Hawai'i 16 years ago. Initially, she taught at Kapa'a High School on Kaua'i. She came to Mililani High in 2002.

Davis' mother, Bonnie Rand, said Davis liked to hike, run, kayak, surf and swim. Rand said Davis was ecstatic to come to Hawai'i for the sports and outdoors, and assisted the paddling team at Mililani High for a time.

"She was always busy, always active," she said.

Rand had visited Davis in Hawai'i three weeks before the accident. Davis took her to the beach every day, she said.

"I forgot she was one of my best friends," Rand said.

Rand said speaking with a representative from the Organ Donor Center of Hawai'i was a comforting experience.

"I'm very pleased that other people will live because she was thoughtful enough to put down 'organ donor.' It's very satisfying," Rand said after a deep sigh. "But it doesn't relieve the pain."

Davis is also survived by son, Daniel Ingersoll; father, Brian Blauser; and husband, Rocky Davis. Services are set for Tuesday at Christ Lutheran Church. Visitation begins at 4:30 p.m., service at 6 p.m.