(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

On Monday, 28 Teves, the MDA team that treated the victims of the deadly terror attack in Har Adar, met Amit Steinhart, who was injured severely in the attack. Steinhart’s life was saved due to the medical treatment he received from MDA staff, paramedics Zohar Lomer and Or Danon, Senior MDA EMTs Tamir Sharon and Omri Cohen and MDA EMT Dafna Nikaho.

Last Tishrei, a terrorist arrived at the entrance of Har Adar and murdered Border Police Staff Sergeant Solomon Gavria, security personnel, Yosef Otman and Or Arish and injured Amit Steinhart severely.

Senior MDA EMT, Omri Cohen, who was the first MDA staffer on the scene and provided preliminary medical treatment to Amit, said: “When I arrived I conducted a situation assessment for the three injured individuals who were laying down. After I realized they weren’t showing any life signs, I approached Amit. He was suffering from bullet wounds to his upper body, so together with MDA First Responders, Aviv Sever and Reuven Tzioni, we provided him with lifesaving medical treatment. Within several minutes, the MDA Mobile Intensive Care Unit, headed by Paramedic Zohar Lomer, arrived on the scene. Lomer continued the treatment and evacuated him to the hospital.” After the attack, Cohen continued to check up on Amir, which made the reunion that much more moving. “This incident is forever engraved in my heart” says Cohen, “it was not an easy situation and seeing him today gives me closure. Him standing up and thanking us, gave me chills.”

MDA First Responder, Aviv Sever, resident of Har Hadar, who was one of the first to treat Amir: “As a resident of the area and an MDA EMT, being used to arrive at emergencies with Amir as a Civilian Security Coordinator, it wasn’t simple when I saw him laying down, hurt, but in these moments, you know you must detach from emotion and concentrate on medical treatment.”

MDA Paramedic, Zohar, Lomer, who was injured in a terror attack in 2014, recalled the incident: “It is very moving to see you here. I remember those moment of the attack, we transferred you onto the Mobile Intensive Care Unit, you were generally calm, which is very important in case of an injury. We, as a medical team, assisted with everything we could treatment-wise. I know the situation, I lived it. I was grocery shopping in the supermarket as a terrorist attacked me from behind with an axe. Throughout the incident, you acted as you are used to behaving as part of your role as security coordinator. Things should be put into place. Do not forget it, but continue living life. It took me a year and a half to recover, it was a struggle that required a lot of will power, but here I am today.”

Amit Steinhart thanked the team: “I was in critical condition, I was hit with several bullets. In those moments, I was certain I was going to die. I called my wife, Na’ama, and simply said goodbye to her. I bled so much that I couldn’t help myself, I lost all energy and thought ‘I am going to die here’. Suddenly, the angels in white, with the Shields of David on their chests arrived, they gave me the power to fight and not give up, suddenly I thought ‘okay, I have a chance, I am not going to die here and now’ they began speaking to me and checking me, it gave me a whole other feeling. From accepting death to receiving hope, hearing them say ‘we are doing everything in our power to save you, stay with us, stay conscious, don’t close your eyes.’” I have no way of saying it really, “thank you” isn’t enough to explain what I feel in my heart. This is your routine, you are amazing, you save lives, thank you for everything.”

Chief of MDA Jerusalem Region Paramedic Shlomo Petrover, told Amit: “We, at MDA, operate towards shortening our response times. Arriving at a scene to treat a patient in a condition like yours, or any other medical emergency, the first minutes are crucial. We enlist the general public to act as ‘Life Guardians’ and I grant you a First Aid kit of an MDA Life Guardian, with which you can save lives.”

At the end of the reunion, Amit announced to the people of MDA that when he recovers he intends on joining Magen David Adom as an EMT.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)