Healthy and back home with her family, Nilo Bahadorani gives thanks

It wasn’t until Nilo Bahadorani, 39, was getting treated for a low iron level that she discovered she had an asymptomatic case of COVID-19. Because her infection compromised her blood oxygen levels, the prescribed iron drip caused a life-threatening allergic reaction. Her heart started racing, and she was rushed to Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center by ambulance.

“I thought I was having a heart attack,” says the mother of three. “They started treating me for the reaction and within a few hours, I was very short of breath. The next thing I knew, I woke up three days later.”

While Nilo was intubated and in a coma, her husband Chris Sabeti, CEO of software firm Phonecheck, turned to his faith to help him cope. “The kids woke up, and their mother wasn’t there,” he remembers. “How do you explain this to a five-year old? I tried not to be worried in front of them while knowing my wife was in a critical situation. I put my faith in God and worked hard to believe that everything would be OK.”

It’s the people who matter most

Lifelong Valley residents Nilo and Chris had all three of their children at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Today, the couple credit the staff at the hospital with saving her life. Nilo will be forever grateful to the team of physicians and nurses who cared for her.

She has special praise for nurse Siavash Bijan, RN. “It’s funny because I was out for three days and don’t remember much, but I do remember my nurse Sia because he was so amazing. He held my hand, he listened, and he was so kind, gentle and comforting. He told Chris he would take care of me, which helped keep him calm.”

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medical Director of the Intensive Care Unit, S. Thomas Yadegar, M.D., internist Shahin Delkhah, M.D., and cardiologist Marc Ehrich, M.D., were on the team that treated Nilo and stood out in her mind as exceptional. “They are all so smart and caring,” she says. “There’s a lot of hospitals out there, but this experience has taught me that it’s the people who matter most. They saved my life and helped me go home to my kids. I want the community to know that the work they do at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center is great!”