Nazareth community rallies around star athlete Chuck Dibilio

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

No varsity player on the Nazareth Area High School boys basketball team wears No. 32 this season.

That was until Friday evening.

Junior guard Ryan Dibilio traded in his regular No. 23 shirt against Allen to don his brother's old jersey in honor of Chuck, a freshman running back at Princeton University, who was in a Philadelphia hospital recovering from a stroke suffered Thursday night.

"Ryan asked me if he could wear 32," Blue Eagles basketball coach Joe Arndt said. "We haven't given that number out all year. It's still unsure if it's a one-game thing or if he'll wear it the rest of the season."

Ryan Dibilio, who was introduced last, scored a team-high 14 points in the 77-52 loss.


Chuck Dibilio, a 2011 Nazareth graduate, was in a study group on the Princeton campus Thursday night when he started feeling weird, according to Arndt. His arms became numb and his speech began to slur, so the other students dialed 911. After being taken to University Medical Center at Princeton, Dibilio was flown to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

According to a hospital spokeswoman, Dibilio, The Express-Times 2010 Football Player of the Year, was listed as stable on Friday afternoon.

In a news release from Princeton, Chuck Dibilio Sr. gave more insight into his son's status.

"They removed a clot in the main artery of his brain this morning," he said. "He is currently recovering. They are trying to find out what caused it, so they can prevent it in the future. As far as a long-term prognosis, we are a long way from knowing, but we appreciate all of the support Chuck has received."

Former coaches and players visited Dibilio on Friday after the operation.

Arndt, who said he received a call from Chuck Sr. early Friday morning with the news, and Ryan Dibilio left school early and drove to Philadelphia, spending roughly two hours with Chuck.

"He's improving a little bit every hour," Arndt said. "He knows what's going on. He knows you. He's alert. He's moving his body parts and stuff.

"As we were leaving, Ryan hugged him and Chuck said, 'Good luck tonight,' and Ryan was floored that his brother knew about the game."

Nazareth football coach Rob Melosky picked up Danny Wilk, Chuck's former teammate, at Penn before heading to the hospital.

"It really didn't hit me until we were on our way to the hospital like, 'Wow, this is real,'" said Wilk, a sophomore defensive back with the Quakers. "The kid does everything right, literally treats his body like a temple and now he has these health problems. That's awful. ... How does that happen?

"I can't wrap my mind around it."

Melosky said Dibilio, 19, was in high spirits when they visited. He said his former player has made tremendous strides in recovery since first being admitted after the incident, according to his parents.

Dibilio's demeanor even surprised Wilk, who admitted he was scared and nervous at first.

"I really had no idea what to expect going there," he said. "He was alert and talking and joking around and smiling, which was a complete surprise. It was really great to see Chuck smile again."

Melosky, the reigning Express-Times Football Coach of the Year, said doctors are still conducting tests to determine how and why the stroke occurred.

"It's tough to see one of your premier athletes in the condition he's in right now; it's frustrating," Melosky said. "If there's anyone who will get through it, it's Chucky."

After a record-setting career with the Blue Eagles, Dibilio, who earned the nickname 'Cheese' in high school, opted to continue his academic and athletic careers at Princeton.

This fall, Dibilio became the first Princeton player to earn Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors since 1983. Dibilio was named All-Ivy League first team after finishing second in the league in rushing with 1,068 yards -- the sixth-best total in Princeton history.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first physical ailment Dibilio has had to overcome. In the summer prior to his senior season at Nazareth, about 10 percent of Dibilio's spleen failed and died and his year and career were in jeopardy. He underwent treatment and was on the field for the Blue Eagles' season opener.


"All of his teammates and everyone in this community think of Chuck as one of the strongest people possible, kind of like Superman," said Nazareth senior Dan Harding, a former football and basketball teammate. "He's a great kid in every aspect. It's unfortunate it had to happen to him, but the main part is supporting him until he's healthy again.

"If there's a kid who can bounce back, it would be Chuck because he's so dedicated."

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/nazareth_community_rallies_aro.html