On Monday morning at 11:30, Yaniv Abayov, who usually studies in a Kollel, was learning at his home in Holon, due to the pandemic, when his United Hatzalah communications device alerted him to a medical emergency occurring nearby on Arlozorov Street. An 85-year-old woman with severe pre-existing medical conditions collapsed in her home. Yaniv quickly ran outside, hopped on his ambucycle, and rushed over to the given location.
Arriving with a number of other United Hatzalah volunteers from the Holon chapter, the team of EMTs began by checking the woman’s vital signs. Finding no pulse, Yaniv, together with the other first responders, initiated chest compressions and assisted breathing in a full-blown CPR effort.
After seven minutes, an intensive care ambulance crew arrived and assisted the team of volunteers with compressions and attached a heart monitor. The monitor did not advise a shock, and so the crew of medical personnel worked together and continued several rounds of CPR on the woman.
An hour of compressions and assisted breathing later, the elderly woman’s pulse and breathing finally returned. With a sigh of relief, Yaniv and the rest of the first responders were overjoyed to see their hard work pay off and the woman’s pulse return. The woman was then transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment. Yaniv was later told that it was the woman’s birthday, and so he relayed the message to all of the volunteers who assisted in the rescue.
“We were a total of 9 medical personnel at the scene, and we worked on the woman for an hour, she may have not survived if even one person was missing,” commented Yaniv. “When a team works together and is synced so well, we get the best outcome. The teamwork and cooperation between everyone saved the woman’s life, and it is truly heart-warming. I was reminded of this when I told my fellow EMTs about the woman’s birthday. We all experienced the long CPR procedure together, and more importantly, you can truly feel the family aspect of United Hatzalah when you get the chance to work in a large team and save a life.”
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