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AmCan firefighter battles rare disease
Saturday, April 07, 2007
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Fighting fires for nearly 30 years was a passion for Jim Stavas. His fight today is dealing with a rare illness.

A member of the American Canyon Fire District since 1977, Stavas served as the district’s deputy fire marshal, fire investigator, building inspection and weed abatement program supervisor.
A few days after undergoing minor sinus surgery in February 2006, however, Stavas fell critically ill.

Shortly after the surgery, Stavas became increasingly disoriented, was readmitted to Queen of the Valley Hospital, where he slipped into a four-week long coma.
Doctors learned Stavas suffered from urea cycle disorder, a rare genetic disorder causing ammonia to accumulate into the brain, leading to coma, brain damage and even death.

Stavas, who had hiked seven miles at Skyline Park the weekend before his surgery, now needs constant care.
Carol Stavas, who has learned to care for her husband of 26 years, has remained at his side on countless visits to the Queen, Stanford Medical Center and a rehabilitation center in Marin County.

To help the Stavas family, dozens of firefighters from American Canyon, Napa, and beyond have volunteered to cook, remodeled rooms in the Stavas house, built a wheelchair ramp, mowed the lawn and maintained the family vehicles.

“They’ve helped be with everything,” Carol Stavas said.

On good days, Stavas recognizes most people. On bad days, he does not.

American Canyon Fire Chief Keith Caldwell said he sometimes sees a glimmer of recognition in Stavas’ eyes when he stops by for a visit.

“Sometimes I see it. Sometimes I don’t,” said Caldwell, who, like Stavas, joined the American Canyon Fire District 30 years ago.

Law Enforcement and Fire Chaplain Lee Shaw stops by or calls almost daily to provide emotional support and guidance or simply line up a plumber or painter when it is needed.

Shaw said the firefighters’ response to help the Stavases has not surprised him.

“They’re like a family. They reach out to one another,” he said

Stavas was hospitalized last week due to complications with the disorder.

Napa City Firefighter/ Fire Investigator Scotty Neely, who is assigned to Station No. 3, the fire station closest to the Stavases, has known Stavas for years. Last week, he and Napa City firefighter paramedic Christopher Gilbert visited Stavas at the hospital.

Gilbert said Stavas was looking at them but not really responding.

There was no facial change, he noted, although there has been at least one notable exception.

“Scotty had his radio with him and American Canyon’s tones went off,” Gilbert said, referring to the tones indicating American Canyon Fire District’s firefighters were being dispatched to a call. “And Jim immediately grabbed the radio.”

“I had to pry his hand off the radio,” Neely said.

On the net

To learn more about urea cycle disorder, visit the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation at www.nusdf.org
7 comment(s)

Capt Pete Villatoro wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:43 PM:

" Best wishes, to the stavas family, I have known jim since I startedas a volunteer in AMCAN and I know he mises the action. Get well Jim from all of us at East Contra Costa Fire. "

Don't give up wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:51 PM:

" This article is of interest to me. When my son was 16 years old, I took him to UCSF because of abnormally high citrulline levels and low serum carnitine, an indication of a urea cycle disorder according to the lab. The levels eventually normalized but doctors only ever checked the levels twice. During the episode, his behavior changed substantially. No one has ever checked his ammonia levels. My son is now in his mid twenties. UCSF told me that he could not have a urea cycle disorder because it would have expressed itself only when he was a baby. Well, obviously they were wrong. And because of this article, I am going to encourage my son to have his levels periodically rechecked. I really hope Stavas walks away from all of this without any permanent damage. And stick with Stanford. I have found them to be much more flexible and on the cutting edge than other hospitals in the area. Do all of the research you can on the subject. Don't give up hope. "

AmCan Mom wrote on Apr 7, 2007 2:15 PM:

" Our prayers are with you! "

Jenna Hawton wrote on Apr 7, 2007 8:34 PM:

" The responce of his fellow firefighters are nothing new, the more I learn about the family of firefighters the more I come to respect them. I have had the honor to spend some time with some of the EMS Personnel in Napa and I could also testify that there is deffinatly something special about the men and women who serve here locally. Thank you for all that you all do and God Bless you. "

Napa EMT wrote on Apr 7, 2007 8:43 PM:

" Just wanted to commend all of those fellow firefighters for helping out to support one of their own. There support is nothing new for this tight family of men and women. Through spending some time with some of the local EMS Personnel I could tell you all that the local EMS personnel are special they all have big hearts for serving as I have seen from experience.God Bless the family you are in my prayers. "

jessie Marie wrote on Apr 14, 2007 1:05 PM:

" My aunt Carol and uncle Jim are such strong people and i know they wont give up.I love you all and you are in my prayers. "

UCDPT&MOM wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:37 AM:

" Being a patient with a UCD, as well as having several family members (surviving), including 2 daughters with the same, my heart goes out to you. It's not easy, but it sounds like you have a lot of friends and family to support you. (Also, the correct website link is www.NUCDF.org)Best of luck. "

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