A 27-year-old Rehovot man owes his life to a Magen David Adom (MDA) volunteer who was praying in the open area of a school courtyard beside him on the day that he collapsed.
Omer Haim went to services recently in the courtyard near his home (thanks to Coronavirus guidelines prayers are not held in the synagogue), as did Raz Yitzhaki, a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) with the MDA emergency medical response service.
As the prayer was wrapping up, and worshipers were tidying up the courtyard, Haim lost consciousness and collapsed. Within seconds, those who prayed next to him noticed he was on the ground and called 21-year-old Raz, who immediately initiated CPR and simultaneously reported the event to MDA.
A worshiper was sent to the school gate to guide the ambulance and to bring a defibrillator; together with the MDA team, Raz administered electric shocks that restored Haim’s pulse and saved his life.
At the end of the nerve-wracking, strenuous resuscitation, with Haim’s condition stabilized, the MDA team evacuated him to the nearest hospital for further treatment.
