On Wednesday evening in Jerusalem, a two-year-old boy ran onto the road and was hit by a car. Passersby immediately alerted emergency services.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Moshe Paskesz was nearby when he received the alert on his communications device. He immediately flipped on the lights and sirens of his ambucycle and rushed to the scene. 

Riding on the sidewalk, Paskesz reached the scene just as a first responder was loading the patient into an ambulance that had pulled up. The ambulance driver urgently shouted at him to enter the ambulance so Paskesz quickly parked his ambucycle and jumped in. 

The child was lying on a stretcher, apparently lifeless. “He’s without a pulse or breathing, we’re initiating CPR,” shouted United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Naftali Shmerler, who had jumped into the ambulance right before Paskesz. 

While Shmerler initiated chest compressions, Paskesz took out a bag valve mask and provided assisted ventilation. After about three minutes of tireless efforts, while the ambulance driver was attempting to navigate the chaos and congestion of the area to head to the hospital, the child began to make noises. Paskesz ordered Shmerler to stop CPR and checked for a pulse. Thankfully, the toddler’s pulse had returned. 

A paramedic and another United Hatzalah EMT who were heading to the scene met the ambulance as it was navigating through the traffic. The driver slowed down, and they jumped into the ambulance. The team continued treating the toddler until they met up with an intensive care ambulance nearby at the Chords Bridge. The patient was handed off to the advanced life support ambulance and was transported to Shaarei Zedek Hospital in serious condition. Thankfully, the toddler’s condition improved, and he is now in stable condition.

“As a father, when I see a small child like that, lifeless on the stretcher, it shakes me to my core. It gives me even more motivation to do everything I can to save the child,” said Paskesz. “I’m so grateful that he is doing okay.”