So far, the prognosis is looking good for Princeton freshman running back Chuck Dibilio, who suffered a stroke Jan. 19. But there is still no answer yet why this athlete, at the peak of his facilities, had a stroke.
Dibilio, a 19-year-old from Nazareth, Pa., underwent surgery to have a blood clot removed from the main artery of his brain at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, according to the Associated Press. He had to be transported by helicopter to that medical facility.
Keith Groller, a columnist for the Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., interviewed Dibilio 10 days after he had his stroke, and the star player seemed to be making good progress.
Dibilio, who was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, was back at home and undergoing therapy three times a week. He told Groller that after the stroke, he couldn’t speak or move his right arm and leg. Now, he says he is OK physically.
But in a disturbing aside that rings alarms, he added, “I just need to work on my speech and some mental things.”
Dibilio is still waiting for the results of tests that are trying to pin down what caused his stroke, according to Groller. But apparently, doctors think there is some kind of link between the stroke and a spleen infection that Dibilio had last year, something that is causing “a clotting disorder.”
The young athlete’s mother said that Dibilio’s therapy is meant to improve his cognitive and language skills, as well as his reading comprehension. One would imagine he would need all those abilities to succeed at Princeton.
There is no timeline yet for when, or if, Dibilio will return to either school or football. He said that he is optimistic. I wish him well.
