“I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” John D. Rockefeller
In the midst of adversity, four Morrisville State College colleagues found a silver lining.
Each turned a life-altering circumstance into a life-enriching experience—one that gave them a chance to rediscover themselves.
Embarking on their new journeys as survivors, they share their stories about the setbacks that empowered new direction and purpose in their lives.
Fred Bach, professor, agricultural engineering and diesel technology—MRSA survivor
Hanging on the walls of Fred Bach’s office is a collection of memories. There’s a plaque signed by students in appreciation of advising their club and dozens of others recognizing his devout service.
“This was a big one,” he said of his John Deere Teaching Award from the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. Next to it is his Morrisville State College Distinguished Faculty Award from 2007.
They mean more than ever to Bach, whose devotion in the classroom has been helping students plant their roots in their careers for more than 35 years. “It’s by the grace of God that I am still here today to share them,” he said, pausing to gather himself before he went on.
The words don’t come easy as he tries to make sense of the unexpected turn his life took. Last year, Bach triumphed over a battle with MRSA, a form of bacterial infection resistant to numerous antibiotics.
It came on quickly. Suffering persistent cold-like symptoms, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. That’s when doctors discovered an abscess on his spine, and later, that Bach had MRSA. As his condition deteriorated, doctors placed him in a medically induced coma.
There was little hope that he would pull through, and if he did, that he would ever fully recover.
But they didn’t know Bach. When he awakened, he had other plans.
Paralyzed and unable to talk or swallow, he started the difficult road to recovery. Strength came from many places as he pushed himself beyond what he thought was possible.
Cementing his resolve more than anything was his students. “They have played such a role in my life,” the 64-year-old Morrisville native said. “I focused on getting back to them and my life in the classroom.”
Through intensive rehabilitation, he learned how to talk, eat and walk, while regaining most of his cognitive function. An accomplished pianist, he’s even gone back to the keyboard.
With all that he has been through, Bach considers himself a blessed man. Changed, yes, but for the better in some ways.
“You learn to appreciate everything in your life so much more,” he said. “I’m thankful for every day I get to spend with my students and colleagues, and I thank God every day for putting the right people in my path,” Bach said of the doctors, colleagues and students who have helped him.
While things are pretty much back to normal since Bach returned to the classroom, the countless hours he spends in labs with students have more meaning. So does his role as a teacher.
“Leading by example is so important,” he said. “My lessons include teaching them to be good people. I am there to guide them to be the best they can be.”
A cane that steadies his every move is the only visible reminder of the infection that nearly ended Bach’s life. And it’s a daily reminder to cherish every minute of every day.
“This is my life,” he said of the college and his students. “I love teaching. There isn’t anything else I would ever consider doing. This place—it’s what keeps me going.”
Dr. Joseph Bularzik, Dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health Studies—“widowmaker” heart attack survivor
Not everyone gets a second chance at life. Joseph Bularzik is making the most of his.
A brush with mortality has given him a deeper appreciation for life and everything in it. “You can never lose sight of the little things,” Bularzik said.
Their importance is more significant than ever to him.
Without warning, on July 14, 2016, Bularzik suffered a type of heart attack known as “the widowmaker,” so named because it results in death in most cases.
In his second year as dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health Studies he was home packing for an out-of-town trip when he felt sudden fatigue and dropped to the floor.
Wasting no time, his daughter, Kirstin, performed CPR until paramedics arrived, an action that played a vital role in saving his life. In the ambulance, a team of medics took over, shocking his heart back to life.
The next few weeks of Bularzik’s life are a recollection from a seamless line of family members, colleagues and friends who visited his bedside and rallied behind his recovery.
Doctors played a critical role in his survival as well, placing him in an ice treatment called therapeutic hypothermia. The process quickly cools the body, protecting the brain from damage caused by the lack of oxygen when the heart was not beating.
When he stabilized, doctors put a stent in Bularzik’s artery.
“I felt like I woke up from a dream,” he said of the first time he opened his eyes. “Doctors were telling me I couldn’t do the things I had done yesterday.” Among them were daily activities like walking, talking, eating and holding a spoon.
At age 57, Bularzik could have settled for an early retirement, but something would have been missing in his life. He vowed to return.
“I told everyone I would be back (to work) and back to what I was before,” he said.
He followed through on his promise. After months of rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, Bularzik made progress that exceeded doctors’ expectations.
As he slowly started to rebuild his life, Bularzik realized the importance of celebrating its triumphs. Moving his legs for the first time after the event and eventually walking again topped his list. “Every day I did those little things was a colossal feat,” he said.
While he is still dealing with challenges with speech and memory, Bularzik is adapting to a way that works for him by breaking things down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Humor has become a coping mechanism. “You have to be able to laugh at yourself. My handwriting and memory certainly aren’t what they were before,” he joked.
With all that’s happened, Bularzik has emerged emotionally stronger than ever with a focus on the time he has gained in life, not what he has lost.
“I don’t waste time asking why this happened to me,” he said. “Anything I do now in life is extra, so I am going to make the most of it.”
His positive outlook has carried him far, generating his quick return to work just four months after his heart attack.
Returning to MSC has played a vital role in his continued recovery process. “There is a lot that needs to be done here and I want to be a part of it,” he said.
While recovery remains an uphill climb, Bularzik is happy to still be in the fight.
“I can’t do what I used to do,” he admits. “Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I just get physically and mentally exhausted. But that’s okay. I got a second chance to do everything I want to do in life and I am going to do great things with it.”
Dr. Clare Armstrong-Seward, associate professor of criminal justice—suffers from concussion syndrome
All eyes focus intently on Clare Armstrong-Seward in the classroom. Students seem transfixed by how she commands the room, rather than being distracted by the walker she slides slowly across the floor in front of her.
Engaging her students is what the assistant professor in the college’s criminal justice program does best.
These days it’s a bit harder for Armstrong-Seward, though. In September 2013, she suffered a concussion following an accidental fall and a subsequent condition known as post-concussion syndrome. Dizziness, fatigue, balance issues, memory problems and vertigo are among the symptoms she faces on a daily basis.
While Armstrong-Seward doesn’t remember the blackout which led to the fall and multiple injuries—a broken nose, broken ribs and facial lacerations—she does recall how her love for teaching helped her champion through it all.
Four years later, as Armstrong-Seward still copes with memory and balance struggles which force her to utilize a walker, she reflects on how the traumatic experience made her a stronger person and a better teacher.
“It’s not what happens to you in life that defines you. It is how you grow from it,” she said.
They are lessons she shares with her students. “We all have obstacles in life. When you get knocked down, you get back up,” she said with a tenacious voice that captures the attention of those around her.
Armstrong-Seward, 58, started earning her badge of courage long before the accident. During the two decades she spent in the New York State Department of Correctional Services, prior to teaching at MSC, she was honored twice for her bravery handling a hostage situation.
Instead of resting on retirement benefits after her accident, Armstrong-Seward returned to the classroom to pursue something more rewarding.
“Teaching is ingrained in me. Morrisville has become my family,” she said.
In addition to teaching students about criminal justice, Armstrong-Seward instills valuable life lessons in them, too.
“You can’t stop life from happening, but I want you to know that you can handle what it throws at you as best as you can,” she tells them.
While the accident has placed some limits on Armstrong-Seward’s life, it hasn’t stopped her from living it to the fullest. She remains active in the community as a certified instructor with the Municipal Police Training Council and is also a member and certified scuba diver for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI), two of the largest scuba diving certification organizations in the world.
“I don’t have time to dwell on the past. I have a new life to live,” she said.
Dr. Lenno Mbaga, associate professor of wood products technology—heart attack survivor
He didn’t believe it when it was happening. Lenno Mbaga was a model of health and had no family history of heart disease.
In January of 2012, he had just finished eating dinner at home when he started to experience indigestion and tightness in his chest. Recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack, his wife, Cecilia, rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors determined that his aorta was 100-percent blocked.
The former star soccer player in high school and at Kean University in NJ who didn’t drink or smoke was in disbelief when doctors told him the outcome of his tests.
In addition to suffering a heart attack, they found a mass around Mbaga’s heart which had to be removed before they could repair his artery with a stent.
During the five weeks he spent in the hospital, doctors cast doubt that Mbaga would ever return to the classroom, a place that has become his second home.
“I told them I would be back to teach,” Mbaga said.
Originally from Kenya, Mbaga has been helping MSC students transform ordinary pieces of wood into works of art for the past 20 years as an associate professor in the wood products technology department.
In a sawdust-filled room, spilling over with pieces of wood and the roar of saws, Mbaga unleashes creativity in his students as they build furniture from scratch for one of his course projects. There have been many throughout the years—a dresser, grandfather clock and guitar are among his favorites.
They are memories that kept him focused on returning to the classroom.
“The whole time I was in the hospital, I thought about my students,” he said. “Teaching is my life. I couldn’t let my students down.”
Determination and hope have been the building blocks to his recovery. So has support from family, friends, alumni and students.
“I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement from so many people,” he said.
Mbaga returned to the classroom three years after his heart attack more committed than ever. His students play an even greater role in his life now.
“I have a greater appreciation for them,” he said. “They are the reason I was able to overcome everything. “Watching them graduate and achieve their career goals and dreams is everything to me.”
Mbaga leads a normal life now which involves routine check-ups, eating healthy and exercising.
“I have learned so much through this experience,” he said. “I developed a new mindset where I take life one day at a time. Life is definitely more precious now.”
