Ansonia superintendent back after life-threatening infection
ANSONIA — School Superintendent Joe DiBacco realized putting on a suit was a bad idea when he went back to work on Monday.
“It just wasn’t working out. It wasn’t comfortable,” DiBacco said.
The clothes pressed up against the one-inch deep wound in his abdomen, the result of a routine medical procedure that nearly killed him in July.
The Ansonia superintendent returned to work this week after missing the first few months of the school year. Now DiBacco is getting back up to speed on missed meetings and slowly re-acclimating to the work environment he said he missed.
His return comes with caveats — he can’t work a full eight-hour day and has to return home so a nurse can repack his wound with gauze every day.
But DiBacco said he needed to come back to work, explaining his dedication to the job compelled him to do so.
“I gotta be here. These are my people. I have to be with my troops. It’s not easy. This is a tough year for everybody,” he said.
DiBacco underwent surgery in July, but complications led to septic shock.
DiBacco said his doctor said if he’d gone home to his family after surgery he very likely could have
died. He said he was told the mortality rate for sepsis is around 40 percent.
He had to take a leave of absence and soon found himself enduring a grueling healing process.
“The month of August, I looked like death. No one came to visit me, my mother was not going let anyone visit me for about a month and then October, I started feeling a little better,” he said.
Meanwhile, the district was ramping up for the start of the school year in September. Acting Superintendent Steve Bergin took over and ran the district but said he was glad DiBacco was back.
“We welcome Dr. DiBacco back to Ansonia Public Schools with open arms. He was missed dearly and I am excited that he is back leading the district,” Bergin said.
DiBacco said he was medically cleared to return
to work just last week. His return was a surprise to many employees, who expected him to return at a later date. He spent most of his first day back in his office, with district staff meeting him there instead of him driving around to schools as he used to do.
He said his condition forced him to miss out on projects he worked on, like getting funds to repaint the cafeteria at Ansonia High School.
“I didn't get to see the new cafeteria. I approved some funds for it to get redone,” he said.
DiBacco also hasn’t been able to meet new staff hires. While he said he’s in good spirits, he is mindful of his condition and said he won’t be taking chances.
However, he was able to make his way to Ansonia High School on Monday, introducing himself to students. Now DiBacco is looking forward to Thanksgiving, since his near-death experience has led him to become more appreciative of life. The get well cards he received from residents also bolstered his spirits.
The outpouring of support only confirmed what he said he knew.
“We're a small city, Ansonia, but they got the biggest heart in the world,” he said.