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Nikkie Sedaghat ’14: Campus Hero

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Rachel Miller
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Elizabeth Wagmeister
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

Each year, more than 400 Americans die from carbon monoxide poisoning, 20,000 visit the emergency room, and 4,000 are hospitalized. Last year, one of our very own Gauchos, Nikkie Sedaghat, fell victim to this life-threatening toxin. Nikkie Sedaghat’s parents were told by a team of doctors that her chances of survival were immensely slim—2% to be exact. With what I can only classify as a miracle, Nikkie survived; and after months of therapy, she is finally back at UCSB living her life to the fullest and making a difference on our campus and around the world.

Nikkie’s fight for her life commenced the day after Thanksgiving when her mother found her unconscious in her room, gasping for air. After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, Nikkie went to bed, eager to wake up early for some Black Friday shopping with her mom. As Nikkie got into bed she began to feel incredibly tired; however, she thought nothing of it and just figured that her exhaustion was due to the Tylenol PM she had taken earlier that night. However, it was not the cold medicine, but the carbon monoxide from the wall heater filling her room that knocked her out. Nikkie spent nine hours exposed to pure carbon monoxide, as all of her windows were sealed shut and the wall heater continued to seep carbon monoxide into her room throughout the night.

When her mom found her in the morning, she immediately called 911 who rushed her to the nearest hospital. However, the closest hospital could not treat her because they did not have a hyperbaric chamber—a medical contraption created by NASA that utilizes pumps and valves to supply oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure, pumping 100% oxygen. Luckily, UCLA was nearby and harbored the technology that could save Nikkie’s life. Nikkie was immediately put into the hyperbaric chamber to pump out the carbon monoxide in her body and pump pure oxygen into it. She underwent the hyperbaric chamber three times due to the enormous amount of carbon monoxide that was in her blood. The doctors induced a coma on Nikkie for four days which then lasted another 31 days, totaling 35 days of being comatose. During this time, a team of neurologists also decided to perform hypothermia on Nikkie, hoping to get her heart pumping and brain functioning. Nikkie Sedaghat is the only person in the United States to experience both hyperbaric and hypothermia treatment. With a startling 2% chance of survival, Nikkie miraculously woke up from her coma after 35 days. Although Nikkie had beat her near unbeatable odds of survival, her fight was not over. Thirty-five days of being unconscious severely affected Nikkie’s cognitive and physical abilities—she was unable to speak, write, or walk. Nikkie subsequently underwent months of physical, cognitive, and recreational therapy, having to learn the basics all over again–“It was so frustrating; I knew exactly what I wanted to say and do but physically could not do any of it. It all came together in my head but when I actually tried to say it out loud or do it, I just couldn’t.”

However, Nikkie is a fighter and was not about to give up on herself—she was determined to return to the social, spunky, and truly amazing girl that every person she encountered instantly loved. She spent hours learning how to produce words and take steps. Once she gained some of her cognitive abilities back, she began busting her butt at the gym four times a week in an effort to regain her muscle; in addition, she enrolled herself into a community college back home to exercise her brain. After six long months Nikkie was finally back to her old self, having regained her physical and cognitive abilities and her passion for life.

HC: After experiencing such a life-changing event, how has your outlook on life been affected?
Nikkie: I appreciate life so much more now; I soak in every moment. My mom always asks me, “Nikkie, why do you walk so slow?” and I always reply, “Why do you walk sofast?” I know that I survived for a reason and am here for a purpose, and I plan on fulfilling that purpose. There are just so many things that I want to do—I want to skydive, study abroad in Spain, and travel the world! And when I say that I’m going to do something, it’s going to get done. That’s just who I am.
 
HC: When did you know that you were fully recovered?
Nikkie: When I got my attitude back. I’m a sweet girl but I have some spice (she laughs). 
 
HC: How has your experience affected your future goals?
Nikkie: I am going to be a speech therapist. Speech therapy saved my life—I owe my speech therapist everything. In addition, I have created an organization on campus called Carbon Monoxide Awareness at UCSB, and I plan on spreading this carbon monoxide awareness around the world.
 
Nikkie’s miraculous survival and subsequent recovery has made worldwide headlines, and Nikkie is not putting her newfound respect for life to waste. Her organization at Santa Barbara and plans to become a speech therapist are the just the beginning. There is not a doubt in my mind that Nikkie Sedaghat is going to change the world. 
 
To hear more about Nikkie’s story go to: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health/your_health&id=8345658

And make sure to join Nikkie’s organization on campus: Carbon Monoxide Awareness at UCSB!

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Rachel is a senior at UC Santa Barbara and studies Communication and Global Peace and Security. Rachel is from a small, beautiful town in southern California called Palos Verdes. However, Palos Verdes is just one of the many places Rachel has lived. Rachel spent her childhood moving and traveling all over the world, living in places such as Indianapolis, Indiana; Santiago, Chile; Vienna, Austria; and Orlando, Florida. Rachel has found her heart and her home in California, choosing to spend her college years in sunny Santa Barbara. However, Rachel continued her wanderlust when she studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain in Fall 2012. At UCSB, Rachel is an immensely dedicated and involved member of her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she held the positions of Panhellenic Delegate, Inter-Greek Counselor, Rho Gam, and a member of the Nominating Slate. Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is a passion of Rachel's, as she is their Social Media Coordinator as well as an active and proud member. As a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honors Society, Rachel is able to implement her prowess and affinity for communication and communication-related issues. When Rachel is not writing, participating in Kappa events, or volunteering, you can find her in the gym, on the soccer field, watching Modern Family, or cooking. Rachel's love for sports, food, and writing often times go hand-in-hand, as one may see in her weekly blogs. For the past two summers, Rachel has been freelance writing for the Los Angeles Times, and hopes to continue her career pursuit of journalism after she graduates. Rachel is elated to be a part of Her Campus's fabulous team and loves every moment of it!
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Elizabeth ('12) is studying Communication and Professional Multimedia Writing at UC Santa Barbara. Born and raised in Calabasas, California, she is a valley girl at heart, but loves spending her time in big cities or at the beach. Elizabeth is currently interning at Santa Barbara Magazine, and is also a writer and reporter for the food, arts, and entertainment sections of her university's newspaper. After a semester studying abroad in Europe, she spent the past summer in New York City as an editorial intern at TV Guide Magazine through the highly competitive ASME Summer Internship Program. Aside from previous internships including a local radio station, Elizabeth worked in Los Angeles at FOX 11 KTTV as a production intern for the top-rated morning show, Good Day L.A and FOX 11 News, and was also recently published in Seventeen magazine. An entertainment fanatic, Elizabeth has interviewed E!'s Giuliana Rancic, the cast of Glee, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. She is also a dedicated member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and served her chapter as Vice President and executive board member. When she's not editing Her Campus articles, you can expect to find her at the gym, shopping, eating chocolate, or watching any show on Bravo. Elizabeth is preparing for a career in print or broadcast journalism, and loves working for Her Campus!