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Organ Donor
Age 16 ~ Ballwin, MO
Date of Donation: 1/2/97
Hospital: St. John's Mercy Medical Center

Honored by Mid-America Transplant Services


Just five weeks before Dana died in a car accident, the Spencer family had a discussion about organ donation. Her parents remembered her decision: “Sure, why wouldn’t I?” Dana’s heart was transplanted to Justin Hughes, the younger brother of local high school basketball phenom Larry Hughes. Several months later, Dana’s father Robert was walking down the street when he recognized Justin’s mother from the earlier news coverage. “I introduced myself, and she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me without saying a word. We stood there, in downtown St, Louis, hugging and crying on each other’s shoulders,” recounted Robert. “What a moment.”