With fist bumps and high fives, students at Scott Elementary School on Tuesday welcomed back Dean Baki, a cherished custodian – and so much more.
A familiar face in the hallways
A fixture of the school community for 15 years, affectionately known as “Mr. Dean,” Baki is well known for lending a helping hand around the building.
Principal Tracey Ratner even calls him the school’s “superhero”.
That help, however, came to a halt one February morning, when just a short time after clocking in for the day, Baki said he started feeling off.
An unexpected hospital stay
“Suddenly I got really hot. I couldn’t believe it. I called my wife. I said, ‘What should I do?’ She said, ‘Call 9-1-1,’” Baki said.
Baki drove himself from work to Endeavor Health Edward Hospital. He said he wasn’t sure if he’d ever see the inside of his beloved school again.
“Once I got to the hospital, I fell down,” Baki said. “All I told the girls, I said, ‘I think I have a heart attack.’ They called my kids, and my family came. I was unconscious for a long time.”
He suffered not one, but three heart attacks that day. Against all odds – a 1% chance of survival – Baki pulled through.
“The doctor did not believe it. They said (to my son), ‘Your dad is a miracle, he is back,’” Baki said.
The road to recovery
He would spend the next six months in recovery, fitted with a new pacemaker and learning how to walk, talk and eat again on his own.
“They put a feeding tube in my stomach… I had a physical speech therapist who tried to talk to me to get my swallow back because I couldn’t eat for three months,” Baki said.
Scott school support
Through it all, the beloved custodian says prayers and support from the Scott community kept him going.
“The kids, they make my heart beat,” Baki said.
Principal Ratner said the school felt his absence over those six months.
“Not having him here was very hard on all of us,” Ratner said. “He is one of those people that just anticipates what needs to be done without having to tell him. He knows the school better than anybody, and he takes a lot of pride in the school.”
Celebrating a cherished custodian
His first day back was one of celebration; an exciting surprise for the very students who helped him keep fighting.
“I belong to this school. I love this place. They did so much for me. I don’t want to leave,” Baki said.
Back on the job and surrounded by kids who care, Mr. Dean’s heart is full and beating with Eagle pride, ready to take on another school year.
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