Cuccia Shows Improvement After Stroke

Fred Cuccia, Monroe High’s football coach who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage Sunday, has shown signs of improvement and is breathing on his own, his wife Carol said Thursday.

“I know [the ordeal’s] not over, but it’s so much better,” she said. “He knew who I was today. He said my name.”

Cuccia, 50, who suffered the stroke in his sleep before being rushed to Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, has partial paralysis on his right side, but began eating whole food Thursday, his wife said.

Carol was in such good spirits because of her husband’s improvement she joked that he had the stroke to “take a rest from me.”

Cuccia learned that he had high blood pressure several years ago after a kidney stone attack, but refused to regulate his blood pressure with medication once his condition stabilized, Carol Cuccia said.

“He hates taking pills,” she said.

“He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink [alcohol] and he doesn’t even drink coffee.”

His wife said that with rehabilitation, medication and plenty of exercise she is confident her husband can recover fully.

“He’s a stubborn, hard-headed Italian and he’s always getting on people for not working hard,” she said. “Now he needs to practice what he preaches.”

Miscellany

Mike Amundson, Chris Cicuto and John Cuccias, recent graduates of Newbury Park, Agoura and Crespi highs, have been named to Student Sports magazine’s academic All-American baseball team.

Jennifer Baltruzak and Kaelynn Jones, graduates of La Reina and Royal, were named to the academic All-American softball team.

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Contributing: Paige A. Leech, John Ortega.