Vinnie and Antonietta Caputo: Back to Celebrating Life Thanks to St. Joseph’s
In October of 2024, Vinnie Caputo traveled from his hometown of Boston to the sunshine of Florida for a once-in-a-lifetime golf trip with his best friends. As he departed for the trip, Vinnie started experiencing discomfort in his ear. Little did he know that the clogged ear was far more serious and would soon threaten not only his trip, but his life.
At the start of the trip, the discomfort turned into more of an ache, but Vinnie was determined to get on the course. A few holes into the round, he started experiencing strange symptoms. He became disoriented and paralyzed on his left side.
Vinnie was rushed to BayCare’s Bartow Regional Medical Center, where they quickly determined he was septic, which occurs when an infection gets into the bloodstream and causes inflammation in the body. The doctors suspected meningitis caused by an ear infection. A rare complication, but a serious one.
The inflammation in his brain required immediate surgery, and Vinnie was airlifted to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, where their renowned neurosurgery team was preparing for his arrival.
His wife Antonietta remembers receiving the call from the surgeon.
“Everything happened so fast. When the surgeon handed the phone to the nurse, I could literally hear him scrubbing in for the procedure. That’s how quickly they were moving,” explains Antonietta. “It gave me peace of mind knowing they were ready and waiting to take care of him.”
Over a thousand miles away, Antonietta quickly made plans to arrive at the hospital to support Vinnie. The hope was that Vinnie would only need to have the fluid drained to relieve the pressure on his brain. However, the pressure was significant enough that he had to have part of his skull removed to save his life.
Antonietta knew how serious Vinnie’s situation was. She’d spent part of her career working with traumatic brain injury patients. While Vinnie’s surgeon, Dr. David M. Panczykowski remained positive, he prepared Antonietta to be in Tampa for the next three months.
When Vinnie awoke from surgery, he was barely moving, wasn’t speaking or responding, and was still paralyzed on his left side. Professionally, Antonietta knew that wasn’t unusual, but personally it was terrifying.
Little by little her husband came back to her, making progress so quickly it even surprised his medical team.
Vinnie was determined to show his caregivers exactly what they had done for him.
“I felt like this wasn’t just my journey. All my doctors, nurses, and especially the physical therapists were fully invested in my recovery. They helped me feel good, and I pushed myself for them as much as for myself,” shares Vinnie.
As Vinnie recovered, Antonietta had time to reflect on all that had occurred. Although she was far from home, she realized how embraced and supported she felt by everyone at St. Joseph’s. From the people who greeted her at the front door each day to the janitor who noticed she was lost within the maze of corridors and kindly helped her find her way, and the nurses who answered her questions.
“It was clear how well they were taking care of Vinnie, but they made sure to take good care of me as well. I’ve worked in hospitals across the country and the world and that’s not always the case. I have to say it was remarkable,” an emotional Antonietta is quick to point out. “It meant the world to me during a really difficult time.”
As for Vinnie, with St. Joseph’s help, he continued to defy the odds. Eleven days after his emergency surgery he was ready to return to Boston.
Once again, St. Joseph’s was there to help coordinate the details necessary to transfer his care to his home hospital because he still needed treatment for the last remnants of sepsis. Antonietta was grateful for team members who went above and beyond to make it happen.
Vinnie and Antonietta praised the work of their charge nurse, Desirae Crespo, who truly went above and beyond for their family.
“When coordination of care at home became more challenging, Desirae stayed closely involved to help guide us through each step. Even after she was no longer assigned as charge nurse, she continued to check in on me to ensure everything was in place for a smooth and safe discharge,” says Vinnie.
“They just made a hard time easier from start to finish,” says Antonietta. “When you are dealing with a medical crisis, especially so far from home, it feels good to know people are in your corner every step of the way.”
Today, Vinnie is fully recovered and back on the golf course. He’s making big plans for a family ski trip and a milestone celebration in 2026 – his 50th birthday.
“I can’t even imagine what might have happened without the expertise waiting for me at St. Joseph’s Hospital, especially when the necessary care was more complex than initially expected. My wife could have been a young widow, and my two teenage girls might have lost their dad. But I was in the right place at the right time. St. Joe’s gave me a second chance to celebrate all the good things in my life and I’m not going to waste a second of it.”