2 minute read
World Builders
World Builders Donating and Then Saving a Life
By Raphael Poch
PHOTO CREDIT: YECHIEL GURFEIN/UNITED HATZALAH
Kenneth Staub (center) together with Lazar Hyman, Eli Beer, Eli Pollack, and Dov Maisel during the ambulance’s dedication ceremony.
On January 16, at around 12:30 p.m., United Hatzalah volunteer EMTs Kenneth Staub and Yossi Horovitz were driving the newly donated ambulance #63 on its first shift in the city of Beitar Illit. Suddenly, they were notified of an emergency on Kidushat HaLevi Street, where a man fell, hit his head, and required immediate medical assistance.
Already at the scene was United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Moshe Vales, who is a resident in the apartment building where the man had collapsed. Moshe was at home when his neighbor knocked on his door urgently to tell him that someone was lying unconscious on the floor in the lobby. He grabbed his medical kit and ran down the stairs. The EMT found the man with a large bloody gash on his head. He checked for vitals and found none, so he immediately attached a defibrillator and started resuscitation. The defibrillator registered that the man was experiencing ventricular fibrillation and administered a shock. Upon arriving at the location, Kenneth and Yossi brought over the necessary medical equipment from started to gasp for breath, opened his eyes, and shouted and flailed his arms. He was confused as to what was happening to him and tried to push away the EMTs who were perform-
the ambulance and rushed to help with the resuscitation.
After only four minutes of compressions, the blue color in the patient’s face started to lighten to a gray, and the EMTs felt a steady pulse slowly return to him. Suddenly, the man ing the resuscitation. Everyone was shocked but excited that the patient had returned to full consciousness and amazed by the miracle that they had just witnessed.
Thanks to the quick arrival of the first responders, the new ambulance with all the advanced resuscitation equipment, and G-d’s help, the patient’s life was saved and he had a complete recovery.
After the incident, Kenneth spoke about what inspired him to join United Hatzalah, “I was truly inspired by my daughter Ravit, who is a passionate volunteer EMT for United Hatzalah. I also admire the organization and the lifesaving work of Eli Beer and the people around him.”
Amazingly, Kenneth had donated ambulance #63 which was inaugurated the Friday before the incident and was honored to be on the first ever shift on the ambulance with his fellow EMT, Yossi, where the two helped save a man’s life. Kenneth concluded by saying, “The ambulance is a memorial to my parents and what they taught me. I continue to help the organization as a board member, as a volunteer first responder, and in any other way that I can. I do this because saving lives is important to me.”
