What began as a carefree morning of recreational soccer turned in an instant into a fight for survival. Torrance Memorial physical therapist Nikki-Rae Alkema, PT, DPT had just finished playing with her team last November when frantic shouts rang out from the next field:
“Is anyone CPR certified? We need help—now!”
Without hesitation, Nikki-Rae sprinted toward the commotion. On the grass lay 63-year-old Guillermo Orquiz, who collapsed without warning just minutes before his own game was set to begin. Teammates were on the phone with 911, but Guillermo’s pulse was faint and he wasn’t breathing normally.
Drawing on years of CPR training required for her career, and instincts honed from her background as a lifeguard, Nikki-Rae dropped to her knees and began chest compressions.
“Training just took over,” she recalls. “I didn’t think, I just acted. It was all adrenaline and hoping I was doing enough until the professionals arrived.”
Within minutes, paramedics from Orange County Fire Authority reached the scene in Irvine, Calif. and rushed Guillermo to a nearby hospital. Nikki-Rae, shaken but relieved, left not knowing whether the man she tried to save had lived or died.
“I carried that with me,” she said. “I kept wondering, did he make it?”
A Second Chance
The answer didn’t come until months later. A teammate of Nikki-Rae’s happened to see a local news broadcast about a heart attack survivor returning to the same soccer field where he had collapsed. In the video, Guillermo embraced firefighters and medical staff who had helped save him.
“It was him,” Nikki-Rae said. “I was in shock — I finally knew he was alive.”
Through the fire department, the two were connected and reunited in person on June 1, 2025, fittingly, during National CPR Awareness Week.
“It was surreal,” Nikki-Rae said. “To look into the eyes of someone I only knew as a stranger fighting for his life, and to hug him, it was the most rewarding moment imaginable.”
Guillermo was equally moved. “Without her, I probably wouldn’t be here,” he said. “She gave me a second chance at life.”
From Collapse to Comeback
Guillermo, a lifelong soccer player and researcher at UC Irvine, had no warning signs the morning of his heart attack. The last thing her remembers is warming up with his teammates and then he woke up in the hospital with his wife at his side. Even though he lived a very active lifestyle and had a healthy diet, doctors determined his condition was largely genetic — several relatives had suffered heart disease. He underwent surgery and began the long road of recovery.
Just four months later, Guillermo was back on the field. “I listened to my doctors, changed my diet, and worked through rehab,” he said. “Now I’m playing again—soccer is in my blood.”
A Call to Action
Both Guillermo and Nikki-Rae share the same message: learn CPR.
“You never know when or where you’ll need it,” Nikki-Rae said. “It doesn’t take long to learn, but it can make the difference between life and death.”
Guillermo agrees. “Most heart attacks happen at home,” he said. “If one person in your family knows CPR, it could save a life—maybe even your own.”
Today, the two stay in touch, exchanging text messages and checking in like old friends bound by an extraordinary moment.
For Nikki-Rae, the experience reaffirmed her calling as a physical therapist and caregiver. For Guillermo, it’s a daily reminder of how fragile—and precious—life can be.
“Every time I play soccer now," he said, "I am grateful.”
