MDA israel

Shmuel Maman, 56, from Haifa, travelled to Eilat to support his son who was taking part in the "Israman" triathlon competition. Just moments before watching his son cross the finish line, Shmuel began to experience a sharp pain in his chest. He found the nearby Magen David Adom first aid clinic and headed towards it. Gabi Baribo, local MDA manager, along with other EMTs, were on duty in the clinic, and realized that Shmuel was probably suffering a heart attack, and that time was critical. 

A MICU team that was at the scene immediately began treatment and began to convey Shmuel to hospital. The team, paramedics Yohai Deri and Israel Weingarten were at the entrance to Yoseftal Hospital when Shmuel's condition suddenly deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest. The team shocked him with a defibrillator, restarting his heart, and he was then transferred to the critical care unit, where he needed a further 4 shocks to stabilize him. Shmuel was then transferred by helicopter to Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva, and after 4 days in hospital he was discharged home with no neurological damage. 

"If I hadn't headed straight for the MDA clinic, I probably wouldn't be here now to tell this story," said Shmuel. "If the MDA teams wouldn't have recognized the cardiac arrest so fast, I probably would no longer be here. They worked so fast, it's inspiring! I'm a healthy person, I train and I eat healthily, there was no reason for me to have a heart attack. And still, it happened. The defibrillator saved my life, it's a machine that should be everywhere!" 

MDA Paramedic Yohai Deri described the events: "It's thanks to Shmuel being alert to his situation, that we had the best chance to save his life. As we arrived at the scene, we realized that time was against us, and that we had to work fast. He collapsed as we arrived at hospital, and was saved by the defibrillator. This machine saves lives, time after time."