MDA to the rescue
While playing soccer with his children in the Jerusalem suburb of Pisgat Ze’ev, 49 year old Yohanan Mevorah suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed.
His family quickly called Magen David Adom
Lishay and Yohanan
‘s 101 emergency number, and while arranging for a mobile intensive care unit (MICU) to be sent, were given instructions in how to start the chain of survival, perform basic life-saving actions that were vital to Yohanan’s survival.
After a few moments, an MDA ambulance arrived at the scene with EMTs Shmuel Perelmuter and Zarhiya Sharabi who continued CPR, and gave Yohanan three shocks with the defibrillator before his heart started beating again. The MICU team led by Paramedic Lishay Eden Shemesh, as well as EMTs Malka Lock, Hila Shamsian and Daniel Levy, fought to stabilize his condition, however it deteriorated once more and he needed further resuscitation including five more shocks. When his heart began beating once more, he was sedated and ventilated and conveyed to hospital in a serious and unstable condition.
On route to hospital, Yohanan’s condition deteriorated once more, requiring yet another electric shock in order to restart his heart. He was taken into the resuscitation room in Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital while in critical condition. He then underwent angioplasty and his condition began to stabilize. To the doctors’ surprise, Yohanan woke up the following morning with no neurological damage. As soon as Paramedic Lishay Shemesh heard this news, he rushed to visit Yohanan in hospital.
A relieved Yohanan Mevorah said: “I had tears in my eyes when I met Lishay. I have no idea how to thank the amazing team that saved my life. This whole story is an ongoing incident, and after everything I went through the first thing I did was to thank everyone for being in the right place at the right time. Each person played their role, and there is no doubt that this is the work of angels. The MDA team that treated me is wonderful, they did amazing work and saved my life with electric shocks and the treatment on the way to hospital.
MDA Paramedic Lishay Eden Shemesh told her story.”When we arrived at the soccer field with the MICU, we joined the resuscitation efforts. We saw Yohanan lying on the floor, having received several shocks from the defibrillator. His condition deteriorated and we had to perform CPR on the way to hospital too, we really fought for his life. I was informed on the following day that he had woken up and I decided I had to go and visit him. I couldn’t believe what I saw – Yohanan was up, talking and walking on his own two feet. The resuscitation efforts in the first few seconds as well as the rapid use of the defibrillator are the key to saving lives. I was so excited to see him – these moments are the engine that drives us as MDA teams to continue doing the work we do.”
