Wednesday February 19, 2014 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Cause of blaze still unknown By Tracy Hughes OBSeRVeR STAFF
The cause of a second house fire in less than a week on Bolton Road in Tappen remains undetermined. Fire crews were called out Thursday, Feb. 13 to a residence which was empty at the time of the blaze. “We have narrowed the area of origin to the basement, possibly some kind of electrical failure,” says Kenn Mount, columbia Shuswap Regional district Fire Service co-ordinator. “What kind of failure or why is still undetermined… It is difficult because of the amount of damage.” The scene has now been turned over to insurance investigators, and then it is likely the file will be looked into by the Bc Safety Authority. The RcMP remain involved with the investigation, especially since the home was vacant at the time of the blaze, but people had been seen coming and going from the home the previous day. “We will be working closely with the RcMP on this case and I’ll be handing over my files to them once our investigation is concluded,” said Mount. The fire was reported at 6:32 a.m. and a member of the Tappen Sunnybrae fire department who lives close by was on scene almost immediately. Members of the fire department arrived shortly thereafter and assistance was also called in from the White lake and Shuswap Fire departments. Approximately 20 firefighters were involved in the effort to put out the fire. The rental home is currently listed for sale. The owner, who lives in Kamloops, has been interviewed by fire investigators and the primary tenant was not in Salmon Arm at the time of the blaze. Mount also says the timing of the blaze, just a few days after an accidental fire on the same road, adds to suspicions about the cause. While the 30-year-old home appears to be a total loss, Mount says the fire response was outstanding. “It’s a well-organized response. I give two thumbs up to the Tappen Sunnybrae department for a really well-managed command.” On Feb. 9, a family of five lost their home on Bolton Road to a fire that is believed to have originated in a basement woodstove or chimney.
JaMeS Murray/OBSeRVeR
Seeking support: Melissa Little and Brent Cox cuddle with their daughter Madison, who suffers from a disease which is believed to affect only three other people in Canada.
Family rallies for Madison Bake sale: Parents try to raise funds to take daughter to California for specialized evaluation of rare genetic disorder.
By Martha Wickett OBSeRVeR STAFF
Madison cox is a happy, loving child who, like many other four year olds, loves animals, dora the explorer and, most of all, people. Madison is also a child who lives a life filled with challenges and struggles that few must face. In 2011, she was diagnosed with congenital disorders of Glycosylation, type 1A, or cdG1A, a rare disease of which there are currently only four known cases in canada, say her parents Melissa little and Brent cox. Worldwide there are about 400. They explain that Madison was not able to hold up her head or lay on her stomach until she was 14 months old. Holding her own bottle or sitting up unassisted wasn’t possible until she
This week Take a peek at life behind the scenes of the Salmon Arm SilverBacks. See page A21. Clive Bryson puts his passion for nature and photography together in a new book. See A26.
was nearly three. By the time she was two-and-a-half she already had two surgeries for her weak eye muscles. The genetic disease means that Madison’s cerebellum is underdeveloped and her body doesn’t process sugars and proteins properly. The cerebellum of many of the children with cdG doesn’t develop at all, Brent says, and the children don’t live long. “Most kids with cdG don’t live a full life, they pass away fairly young because of liver and other organ failure.” Brent and Melissa have three other children, and all are healthy. Madison’s fifth birthday is in April but she cannot walk or talk. “She can’t walk but she is starting to stand a little,” explains Brent. “She’s starting to speak as well but she’s hard to understand.”
Madison must be monitored constantly for fear of her having seizures. However, her mind is good, she understands well and it’s mostly the motor skills that are delayed, Brent says. “Madison is a sweetheart. She brightens everybody’s day – she’s always got a big smile. We have a lot of people helping us with this, a lot of people who want her to have the best.” Help, however, has not been so forthcoming from the health-care system, they say. When Madison was first diagnosed, Bc children’s Hospital in Vancouver was excited to have her there, says Melissa. But that interest dropped off, and she surmises it’s because the disease is so rare. Through her own research and a See Bake sale on page A2
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Sports................A21-A25 Time Out................... A15 Arts & Events ... A26-A28 Vol. 107, No. 8, 48 pages