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In death, Keyport deli owner helps savethe lives of 4 people with organ donations

“but as I started thinking about it, I thoughtit would be nice to have somebody breath-ing through her lungs, to have somebodyhelped by her kidneys. I know that’s whatshe wanted. She’d give you the shirt off� herback.”

Melissa and James were raising twochildren in their Keyport household: 9-year-old Justina and 4-year-old Nicolina.Nicolina could be seen tagging along withMelissa at the deli.

“She had a little playroom in the kitchenarea and a mattress for her to take a napon,” Dockery said.

Melissa Daza was known around Keyport for running her Broad

Street sandwich shop, Daza’s Subs & Deli, with a big smile. h“She loved her customers,” husband James Daza said. “She

was very big-hearted.” h That spirit motivated her to confi�de

an important wish in James and her mother, Anna Dockery. h “Melissa had

mentioned to us several times that if anything were to ever happen to her, she

would like to help save a life by being an organ donor,” James said.

That wish was fulfi�lled after Melissa,40, died suddenly in May. Her organshelped save four people, providing a mea-sure of solace to her grieving family.

Melissa’s lungs were transplanted into a41-year-old female; her liver was trans-planted into a 61-year-old male; her rightkidney was transplanted into a 64-year-old male, and her left kidney was trans-planted into a 56-year-old male. The dona-tions were announced earlier this monthby NJ Sharing Network, a nonprofi�t re-sponsible for recovering organs and tissuefor nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents cur-rently awaiting transplants.

“At fi�rst I was against it,” Dockery said,

Melissa Daza (left) with James Daza. NJ SHARING NETWORK

Gift of lifefor fourJerry Carino Asbury Park Press | USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

See DONOR, Page 6A

“Melissa was our entire world.”James Daza Melissa’s husband

Joe Biden faces defi�ning congressionalmoment in Georgia this week. 10A

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More than 70% of New Jersey’s supply of COVID-19vaccine has not been used, echoing a national trend ofslow distribution, according to data released by stateoffi�cials.

Of the 265,000 doses of the Pfi�zer and Modernavaccines that have been delivered to New Jersey,72,657 residents had been given a shot by Thursdayafternoon.

Despite months of planning, state offi�cials said alack of personnel, along with logistics and timing is-sues were to blame.

“We are in the process of setting up hundreds ofthese (vaccination) locations. Some of them are goingto be mega sites, and we have to schedule,” Gov. PhilMurphy said at his briefi�ng. “Remember, you needhealth care workers to do this. I’m not qualifi�ed to de-liver these vaccines.”

The slow rollout has been frustrating to a public ea-ger to end a pandemic that has infected at least477,000 New Jerseyans, killed more than 19,000 andcaused vast economic hardship.

About 3 million Americans have gotten shots as ofNew Year’s Eve well below the 20 million goal set bythe Trump Administration.

More than70% of NJ’svaccinesstill in vials State is echoing national trend of slow distribution

See VACCINES, Page 6A

Scott Fallon NorthJersey.com

USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

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Food for thought

New Jersey chefs tell us what and howwe’ll be eating in 2021. 1E

2020: Unforgettableyear told in photosTODAY, 3A

BARNEGET – Police identifi�ed the two people killedin a head-on collision New Year’s Day on the GardenState Parkway when one of them drove the wrong wayin the northbound lane.

Emily Soc, 25, of Ewing, was driving a Toyotasouthbound in the northbound lane when her carstruck the front of a Honda CRV driven by ColleenRoche, 61, of Barnegat, according to New Jersey StatePolice. Roche was traveling northbound, police said

Both drivers were killed in the accident, which re-mains under investigation, police said Saturday.

There were no passengers in either vehicle, and noother cars were involved.

The accident, which occurred just north of Exit 67 inBarnegat, was reported at 7:45 a.m. Friday.

Two killed in wrong-wayParkway crashare identifi�edJoe Strupp Asbury Park Press

USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

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