MEAD Alt grad makes up for lost time

In gradeschool, Nadija Fiechtner began experiencing debilitating migraines. The pain was so intense all she could do was lie still in a darkened room.

Eventually, she withdrew from school altogether and tried to keep up via home schooling, but even then constant headaches interfered with learning. “I didn’t have any credits from sixth, seventh or eighth grades,” she said.

The fact that she is now graduating on time with her classmates at MEAD Alternative High School is something of a miracle – a miracle teacher Greg Conley attributes to her “intelligence, work ethic and pure desire.”

Because it turns out those weren’t ordinary migraines. At 14, Fiechtner was diagnosed with Chiara malformations, structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance.

Having already been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 11, Fiechtner felt overwhelmed by this new diagnosis. She underwent surgery in which spinal vertebrae was removed to ease the pressure. “My recovery took about a year,” she said.

Though she still has headaches, their severity and frequency is managed through Botox and steroid treatments.

When asked about her ordeal, Fiechtner laughed, “I always say, you know you’ve had brain surgery when you can’t remember when you had it.”

As her health gradually improved, she was ready to tackle school again. She had a lot of ground to make up. “I did 23 classes last year to make up for lost time. I really wanted to graduate,” she said. “School is really important to me – without it I’d be lost.”

Her class load alone is impressive, but Conley said Fiechtner has accomplished all this while working full time and helping to care for her disabled mother. In addition, he said, “She volunteered with Catholic Charities and that volunteer work turned into a job offer of a management position at a coffee shop.”

Fiechtner shrugs off the difficulty of working two jobs while earning enough credits to graduate. “My family needed the support, so I needed to work.”

Conley believes her unique circumstances have had a positive impact on her life. “Some of the challenges she’s faced have made her highly practical,” he said. “More practical than most teenagers.”

With graduation approaching, Fiechtner has her eyes set on a new goal. “I’ve been accepted at Whitworth,” she said. “I want to be a surgeon.”

She laughed, “Gore fascinates me!”

In fact, for her senior project she job-shadowed a doctor.

Conley has no doubt Fiechtner will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. “If she wants to go to med school, she’ll go to med school,” he said. “She’s an example of a student who gritted her teeth and kept moving forward. She’s an inspiration to me.”

Fiechtner realizes other teens struggle too, whether it’s with health, social, academic or emotional issues. To them she offered these words, “Keep believing that something will change, even if it’s really hard. It’s going to get better. It did for me.”