For those Jim Stavis and Paragon Steel followers who can remember back 20 years ago, I endured a triple organ transplant of my heart, kidney and pancreas while I was on my death bed clinging to life. It truly is a wonderful story of resilience and good fortune that I’m here to share this incredible story of survival and beating all the odds. I tell the story in my book, “When Hope is Your Only Option.”
This Halloween marks the 20-year anniversary of the tragic death of my donor, Brice Fabing of Lompoc, CA. He was just 16 ½ years old in his senior year at Lompoc High. He was returning home from football practice with a couple of friends, when his car struck a telephone pole in an open field. Two of the passengers died at the scene, while a third had brain damage. My donor, Brice, was the driver of the car. He was the son of Dorine and Mark Fabing, who I developed a relationship with. This all happened while I was clinging to life awaiting life-saving organs at Cedar’s Sinai hospital in LA.
I had been told at that time that I was at the top of the waiting list for new organs. I received the call on November 3, 2005 that my organs would be ready for transplant. The surgery would last for 21 hours and consisted of two transplant teams for the heart and kidney. The pancreas would be a separate donor and surgery some 10 months later.
Ten years after the transplants, I rode upon the 2015 Rose Parade Float for Donate Life, holding a picture of Brice as we weaved our way down Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. This was a day I would never forget. Now, 20 years from that fateful day, I reflect on how much has occurred since then. I marvel that I’m still alive to witness what I see each and every day. I’ve watched two of my children get married and have three grandchildren, with a fourth on its way. Unfortunately, I’ve also lost my business partner, Doug Carpenter, my father, Lew Stavis, and last year my wife, Renee, who I’d been with for 42 years. I receive constant reminders of how fortunate I am to still be here feeling well and withstanding the test of time. I can remember vividly when I was not. I had been told when I was a teenager that I would be lucky to live until I was 50 years old and last December, I celebrated my 70th birthday. In my religion, we call that a Mitzvah!
My wish after all this good fortune has been to be able to share my story with others to be able to help them with their adversity and to be an example of overcoming odds whatever they may be. I hope I have been an inspiration to others as well as to prove that organ donation saves lives. If you are not, become an organ donor today. That would be the best way to help me celebrate this anniversary.
Thank you,
Jim
