MDA israel

Shai Kadosh, an MDA paramedic, was on shift on the MICU when he received a call in the southern Israeli town of Ofakim. He was called to a 62 year old patient - Eti Tal - who was suffering from difficulty breathing. When Shai and Senior EMT Shimon Maman arrived on scene, they found Eti semi-conscious, and had to sedate and ventilate her before conveying her to hospital in a stable condition. Once Eti had recovered, she asked her family to find the MDA team that saved her life so that she could thank them. 

Last week, Eti visited the MDA station in Netivot and discovered to her great surprise that the paramedic who saved her life was Shai - who as a child was her neighbor 20 years ago. He used to play with her kids, and Eti and Shai's mother are still in touch today. 

Eti described the emotional reunion: "This team saved my life, and the minimum I could do was to meet and thank them. They arrived quickly and treated me in the most professional way. When Shai and Shimon walked into my house I saw two angels dressed in white, and then moments later I lost consciousness. The first thing I said to my husband when I woke up in hospital is that I have to meet my angels. When I saw Shai at the station I was overcome with emotion, I had tears in my eyes. I remember him as a child, running wild and messing around, but today, 20 years later, that same wild kid literally saved my life. It is a very emotional, real closure."

Ex-neighbor, Paramedic Shai added: "Just a moment ago Eti was in a life threatening situation, and now, here she is smiling and fully alert. This is one of those things that gives us, the EMTs and Paramedics, the fuel to go on saving lives. During this meeting Eti and I realized that she is more than just another patient - she and I have known each other for 20 years, since I was 8 years old and she was the neighbor who lived directly across the road from me. I wish her a healthy life!"