Chuck Dibilio is sounding better, looking better every day

FROM THE MORNING CALL

I've talked to Chuck Dibilio several times over the years, often after big football and basketball performances while he was at Nazareth.

And I was thrilled to talk to him last September after he made a memorable collegiate debut for Princeton in the Tigers' season-opener against Lehigh. Princeton lost that night, but Dibilio's debut was memorable — 86 yards on 14 carries and a 26-yard TD reception.

Thomas Jefferson But of all the Dibilio interviews I've done, he has never sounded better to me than he did on Monday night.

That's because just 10 days after he suffered a stroke that prompted him to be flown by helicopter from the Princeton campus to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Dibilio was doing well.

He had just gotten back from a therapy session at Good Shepherd in Allentown and was feeling strong and upbeat, just like nothing had ever happened.

"I've definitely made a lot of progress," he said. "When it first happened, I couldn't talk or move my right arm or leg. I'm not quite 100 percent, yet, but I just started going for therapy three times a week. Physically, I'm fine. I just need to work on my speech and some mental things."

Dibilio is back at home, where he is wisely taking it easy, getting some extra rest and trying to get the answers to why a stroke would strike one of the healthiest, fittest 19-year-olds on the planet.

At the moment that's the most frustrating part for Dibilio and his entire family, including his mother, Bonnie Coyle Ronco, who is a doctor.

The hospital conducted a battery of tests to determine the stroke's cause and complete results have yet to come in, although there's likely linkage to a spleen infection Dibilio had in the summer before his senior year at Nazareth.

"Everything that has come back has been normal so far," Ronco said. "There's still some tests pending that are looking into a clotting disorder. So, no, we don't understand why it happened yet, but everyone feels fairly certain that's it's related to his spleen. We just need to know what's causing him to have blood clotting that's more than normal."

However, while the wait for answers continues, Dibilio continues to show progress every day.

"He needs therapy for his cognitive skills and his ability to process language and respond appropriately," his mother said. "That's where he needs the help. But he looks good and every day you can see and hear a difference. It's looks promising that he's going to get all the way back to normal. But it's just going to take time."

Dibilio said he is struggling with his reading comprehension, but he's getting better.

In terms of a return to class at Princeton or football, no timetable has been set. All that matters at the moment is making sure that he continues to recover and that he is completely healthy before he returns to normal activities.

"I'm definitely happy to be home right now," he said. "I would normally be home now anyway because we're in between semesters at Princeton. It's definitely better to be home than at the hospital. I didn't have much fun there."

Princeton has been in daily contact with Dibilio.

"The school has been very supportive," Ronco said.

Dibilio has two final exams still to take from the fall semester. He was in a study group preparing for a final exam in calculus when he was stricken.

"We're not exactly sure when I will be able to get back to class and there's a possibility I will only take one class in the next semester or maybe wait until the summer," he said. "With football, I have no idea. Right now, I am planning on returning. But we still have to see what the test results show and what medications I may need.

"I am definitely optimistic I will play again, but I still have to be cleared. It may take a month or so before I can start to lift and sprint again. It has been a long time since I've gone this long without exercise and I miss it."

Those who know Dibilio have no doubt he will do whatever it takes to get back to where he wants to be.

In the hours and days after the stroke, the Nazareth and Lehigh Valley sports communities opened up their arms and embraced Dibilio through an abundance of cards, flowers, Facebook messages, texts and other forms of get-well wishes.

As one of the most prominent high school athletes in the area, Dibilio not only impressed with his talents, but earned admiration with his work ethic and desire. It's that compassion that has boosted Dibilio and his family through this ordeal.

"I have so many people to thank," he said. "And it starts with my friends who saw I was in trouble that night. They saw I couldn't talk and called the hospital within a minute. I might not still be here without their help. I am lucky to be alive and while I am a little frustrated right now that I can't do everything I want to do, I am determined to do everything I can to get better."

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