MDA israel

As Yaron was doing his shopping one Monday morning about a month ago, he began to feel unwell. He made it through the supermarket check-out and went to rest on a bench. Suddenly, he started to experience severe difficulty in breathing, and the local staff called MDA's 101 emergency number. 

MDA EMTs Nati Frahmand and Shira Bonny, who's on her National Service in MDA, arrived at the scene and began treating Yaron. As the mobile intensive care unit (MICU) team arrived on scene, led by Liam Sivan Elbaz, along with EMTs Arik Hazon and Miriam Guzkevich, Yaron's condition began to deteriorate. He collapsed unconscious and in cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital, and the team began CPR. A few minutes later his heart began beating once more. The MICU team conveyed Yaron to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot for continued treatment. To everyone's surprise, Yaron regained consciousness a few days later with no neurological damage, thanks to the dedicated treatment by the MDA and hospital teams. 

Yaron held a thanksgiving meal in his home in Rehovot, and invited MDA paramedic Liam Sivan Elbaz and EMT Shira Bonny. 

Yaron Gadasi said, during the festive meal: "It is very emotional, there are a lot of tears. Thank you both - you are angels. Every time I remember what happened, I realize how lucky I was. All of you - all the MDA staff that were there, you fought to save my life, and thank God that you succeeded, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to meet here with you, along with my grandchildren. It was lucky that everyone was in the right place at the right time. You were sent from above." 

Liam Sivan Elbaz spoke of her emotions: "It's amazing to be here - I have no words to describe how it feels to see you here alert, walking, eating with us after what you have been through. The whole chain of survival worked from the first instant in order to save you. It's moments like these that gives us, the MDA teams, strength to carry on and save more lives."