Magen David Adom ambos special guests at a simcha
Moshe Kahlon’s wife, Karnit, woke from her husband’s heavy breathing just before he lost his pulse and stopped breathing.
The wedding party with special guests
She immediately called Magen David Adom seconds before 61-yr-old Moshe suffered from a cardiac arrest. Karnit began initial resuscitation, with the guidance of Shmuel Algawi, a medic at MDA’s dispatch center. A few minutes later, the MDA intensive care unit arrived and continued the treatment with advanced CPR, which included electric shocks.
After a short while, his pulse returned and, when he was stable, the team evacuated him to the hospital. Two months after the difficult incident,
Moshe was fortunate enough to attend his son Sahar’s wedding, to which the MDA medics and paramedics who had saved his life were invited – Nir Grossbard, Avihu Garggreen, Tomas Beitlman and Magen David Adom’s first responders; Eliran Yehezkel, Nir Zbyshinsky and Nati Mansur.
Moshe said: “The joy at celebrating my son’s wedding was tremendous, especially knowing how close I was to not having it. The Magen David Adom team that saved my life has already come to visit me in the hospital, but to be celebrating with them is very exciting. It could not have been more joyful”.
His son Sahar added: “The MDA medics and paramedics are people I know for about a month and a half, but they were happy for me as if we knew each other all our lives. The guests at the wedding were very excited when they heard the story and understood who the unfamiliar guests were. It was clear to me that I was not taking their work for granted. I realized that without them, my father would not be attending my wedding”.
“Shmuel the paramedic at the centre had a soothing voice, he was very professional and gave me a lot of confidence. It was only thanks to him that I managed to carry out the initial resuscitation. I feel as though the MDA team that saved Moshe’s life is part of my family, and to meet them at my son’s wedding is very joyful. Our family and friends who were at the wedding were touched to see us with the MDA medics and paramedics who saved Moshe’s life”, said Moshe’s wife Karnit.
“A few days after the incident, I came to visit Moshe at the hospital, and saw the amazing improvement in his condition,” said MDA Paramedic, Nir Grossbard. “When he shook my hand it was clear that he was going to recover completely. Moshe’s son told me and the other members of the team that saved his father’s life that he was getting married, and invited us to the wedding. I’m so glad it ended the way it did and watching him accompany his son at his wedding, was so exciting. All Moshe’s the brothers and sisters came to thank us. It’s amazing to see a man who was so close to death participate in his son’s wedding”.
The senior medic at MDA’s dispatch centre, Shmuel Algawi commented: “It is so exciting to see a happy ending to this incident. The meeting with Moshe’s wife at their son’s wedding was especially heartwarming and gave me a lot of strength to continue. I told her that her actions at the time of the incident, and the initial resuscitation she had done with my guidance, were a critical part of saving her husband’s life”.
