Stanley Efaw, the 34-year-old fiddler with Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys, has been diagnosed with a stage 2 fibrosis of the liver. This is a serious disease, which can eventually develop into cirrhosis unless the underlying cause is addressed.
Stanley comes from a deep bluegrass heritage, the son of bandleader Larry Efaw, whose own father Ed Efaw started the long-running group, The Bluegrass Mountaineers, in 1962. Both Stanley and Larry are members of that group, with Stanley appearing with them as his schedule with Ralph II allows.
The younger Efaw joined The Bluegrass Mountaineers at age seven, playing mandolin with his dad, who is a great admirer of the Stanley sound. He started playing even younger, receiving his first banjo at age two, given to him by Dr. Ralph Stanley himself.
Over the years he has performed as a member of Remington Ryde, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, and Larry Sparks before joining The Clinch Mountain Boys.
Liver fibrosis is a scarring of the tissue in the liver, with a severity scale running from zero scarring, up to stage 5, which is cirrhosis of the liver. It is caused by damage to the liver through any of a number of elements, but can be reversed by discovering and correcting the origin of the scarring.
At stage 2, Stanley has an excellent chance of recovery, and hopes to know more in a few months time as his doctors develop a course of treatment.
He asks that anyone so inclined to please pray for him, that he finds the strength to go through this ordeal.
Best of luck, and get well soon, Stanley!
