6-year-old boy killed in hunting accident helps 5 lives through organ donation
The family of a 6-year-old boy killed in a hunting accident has donated his organs to five people, making him a lifesaver in the process.
Avery Matthew Davis' kidneys, liver, heart and intestines were donated to five other people, according to We Are Sharing Hope SC, a nonprofit and federally designated Organ Procurement Organization, or OPO, that operates the organ and tissue donation program for the state of South Carolina.
"We are so grateful for the generosity of Avery and his family, and his legacy will live on," Krystal Cau, a spokesperson for the organization, told ABC News.
Avery, a first grade student who lived in South Carolina with his parents, Jeremy and Cindy Davis, and two siblings, was shot Nov. 24 during a hunting trip in Orangeburg County, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources confirmed this week in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The department said Avery "was in an elevated stand and appears to have been struck by a stray shotgun pellet from a shooter on the ground."
While the investigation is still ongoing, the department said Monday it had determined that the tragedy was an accident, adding that "investigators are awaiting more information from the coroner's report."
Jeremy Davis told ABC News in a statement that his son loved the outdoors and hunting. He described his son's death as a "freak accident" and said he and his family "continue to support hunting and outdoor activities."
"We ask that everyone please focus on the positive outcome of our tragic loss and we ask that none of the families involved, or the sport of hunting, be depicted in a negative way, as this would be very disrespectful to our son, who had a true love of the outdoors and hunting," he said in a statement. "We would like to focus on the impact our Avery has had on the nation with his caring and helping nature. Avery has helped save five others by donating four of his organs."
Jeremy Davis also said he hopes to turn a spotlight on ways to make hunting "a little bit safer for the future" following his son's death.
He thanked the public for their support of his family, adding, "I want to thank our community and the nation for standing behind all of us in our tragedy. Without our faith in God and the support of everyone, this would be much harder than it is."
In an earlier statement on his Facebook page, Jeremy Davis described Avery as a "live wire" who was well-loved.
"Everyone that knew this boy of mine loved him," he wrote. "He was a live wire that was known all across the country for his silly ways and love of the outdoors. He definitely got his money worth out of his 6 short years on earth."
Noting that Avery was an organ donor, Davis continued, "I'm honored that his legacy can live on through others. I couldn't be prouder of my son and rest assured he will never be forgotten."
Funeral services for Avery will be held Saturday, Dec. 2, in St. Matthews, South Carolina, according to his obituary.
ABC News' Ahmad J. Hemingway contributed to this report.
