When Charlotte Costi was 14 years old, she suffered a severe allergy attack that nearly killed her. She survived thanks to a team from Magen David Adom who were called to the scene.
“As a child, I had frequent up-close exposure to ambulances and hospitals, and I decided to join MDA as part of my national service,” says Charlotte.
She became an EMT, serving in ambulances and on the 101 emergency hotline. Later, she served as a first-aid instructor and as a result of her own childhood experience, became an advocate for raising awareness about allergy attacks and their treatment methods.
As Charlotte advanced in the organization, she happened to meet Erez Geller, director of MDA’s Carmel Region, and they immediately recognized each other. He was the paramedic who had saved her life some 10 years ago.
For a time, she became his administrative assistant. But then she realized it was time to achieve her dream. “From an early age, I dreamed of becoming a paramedic and saving lives, just as I was saved. I told Erez and he fully encouraged me to enroll in the course,” says Charlotte.
Charlotte recently completed MDA’s prestigious paramedic course. The officiation of her new rank was presided over by Erez personally.
“It was a very exciting moment for both of us,” says Erez. “I was very happy to hear that she wanted to take the course and I supported her very much. I wish her a lot of luck in the organization and only good health.”
