NASCAR racing veteran ST James Davis continues to astound his team of doctors, at the Loma Linda Hospital, with a slow and steady progress while being treated from massive injuries sustained from a savage animal attack last March. The fact that Davis even survived the attack at all is truly a miracle.
Davis, and his wife LaDonna, were visiting the Animal Haven Ranch, a sanctuary for retired zoo animals approximately 20 miles south of Bakersfield, on March 3d to celebrate Moe the chimpanzee's 39th birthday. The Davises adopted Moe at birth and he quickly became the son they never had.
While the West Covina, California couple enjoyed a lifetime of happiness with Moe, it went bad in 1999 when it was alleged that Moe bit off the fingertip of a woman who was visiting the Davis home. Part of the settlement of the case included Moe being placed in the animal sanctuary.
The Davises made regular visits to see Moe and that's what placed them at the sanctuary on that fateful morning. Four chimpanzees escaped from their cage. Two of them attacked the Davises. Moe remained in his cage, stunned, and had nothing to do with the incident.
The attack on St James Davis lasted approximately five minutes before officials could secure the scene. Davis sustained massive injuries to his face, hands and feet and was transported first to the Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield and then was later moved to Loma Linda Hospital where he could receive the extensive and special treatment that was needed. LaDonna Davis was treated for animal bites, including the loss of a thumb on her left hand.
Since being transported to Loma Linda, Davis has been in a medical induced coma. Recently doctors decided it was time to revive him. He made an effort to speak but it was nearly impossible because his lips were missing. Doctors came him an electronic voice box, to hold up against his throat, and his first ever words, since the attack, were "how is Moe doing?"
Despite this astounding progress, there is still a lot of work to be done and more experimental surgeries are being discussed. One of those procedures includes manufacturing a prosthetic nose that can be snapped off for cleaning and then snapped back on. Doctors are also looking into to creating an artificial eye socket, to hold a glass eye, to replace the eye he lost in the attack. Davis also lost his fingers on both hands and doctors are researching the possibility of placing artificial fingers on the side of his hands that will be powered by small electrodes so he can someday can have some form of motor skills with his hands.
However, the one thing the doctors are seriously working on is sending Davis home between all of these medical procedures. They are been emotionally preparing LaDonna for her husband's anticipated homecoming by making sure the house is ready, such as ramps to the doorways, and making sure LaDonna will be ready to handle any emotional impacts that will flare up once Davis returns to his longtime West Covina home.
Completing casting her own injuries aside, LaDonna has been a tower of strength for her husband. Each morning she makes the 45-mile drive, from West Covina to Loma Linda, to be at her husband's bedside. Her day starts very early each morning and it's often midnight by the time she returns home.
But, according to long time family friend and spokesperson, Nadine Sigmon, there was one day in early June when LaDonna did not go to the hospital and, instead, had some friends drive her to the Animal Haven Ranch to see Moe for the first time since the attack. She brought treats and a large stack of old newspapers because Moe loves to shred the papers. As she always did in the past, she brought extra treats and papers for the other chimps including the one that attacked her.
According to Sigmon the reception LaDonna received when she arrived at the animal haven was nothing short of brutal. Further describing the incident, Sigmon said "when LaDonna arrived at the animal sanctuary Virginia Braurer, (caretaker of the haven), came running out of the office and screamed what in the hell are you doing here? She turned on LaDonna's friends and said why did you bring her here? She has no business here and I'm calling the cops."
Continuing the story, Sigmon said "LaDonna did not want any trouble and didn't want to cause any problems for her friends, who drove her there, and quietly left. Several yards away she could see a very excited Moe jumping up and down trying to get her attention. While driving down the narrow dirt road, that connected the animal haven with the main highway, they encountered a police car. LaDonna flagged them down and told them they were probably looking for her. After hearing the story, the officers put her newspapers and treats in the trunk of their car and drove LaDonna back to the animal haven so she could leave them for the chimps despite Braurer's insistence that she could not walk up to Moe's cage."
Sigmon also noted that the animal haven made it crystal clear that they had no liability insurance and would initiate bankruptcy proceedings if the Davises attempted to file a civil lawsuit against them. "Despite the fact that the investigation determined that a door to one of the chimp's cages was left unlocked, (on the morning of March 3d), LaDonna has never considered suing the animal haven. She is not a vindictive person and says that the entire incident was an accident," Sigmon said.
The downside of all of the medical miracles that has been accomplished, and will be performed in the future, are the medical bills. The Davises do not have health insurance and the bills are now reported to be in excess of one million dollars.
Sigmon was instrumental in helping to set up a trust fund, at a West Covina bank where the Davises have been affiliated with for years, but reports that donations have been slow. "I think this might be due to the fact that a lot of people honestly thought that ST James wasn't going to make it. In fact, to this day, the medical staff at Loma Linda can't believe that he survived the first night after the attack," she said adding "racers are a huge family and if every person who ever raced with ST James, or if every fan who has ever met him, would consider sending just $10 it would turn out to be huge."
NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kyle Petty has been in contact with LaDonna Davis many times offering her words of encouragement. Sigmon said they plan to contact Petty in the near future to seek his advice on fund raising adding "considering how fast he raised the funding for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, (a North Carolina based camp for terminally ill children established by the Pettys), it's clear that this is a man who knows a lot about fundraising."
Sigmon, and other friends of the Davises, are also looking into a campaign that would mean the most to ST James and LaDonna: getting Moe home to West Covina. She pointed out that the animal sanctuary wants Moe relocated because they think he's a disruptive influence, over the other animals, because of the many years that the Davises treated him as a human being. "Officials from the City of West Covina would be absolute heroes if they allowed Moe to return home," she said.
Donations for the Davis family may be sent to: Pacific Western Bank, 200 South Vincent Avenue, West Covina, California 91790. Please make sure your check is made out to the LaDonna Davis Fund so the bank will know what account to place it in.
