The employees and volunteers of the MDA Jerusalem station gathered to raise a toast for the New Year. During the ceremony, ten outstandingly dedicated employees and volunteers received certificates of honor and new shoulder ranks. The evening concluded with a moving encounter between the parents of Noya Cohen and the MDA team that saved her life a year ago.

The incident took place in November, 2016, in the Har Homa neighborhood of Jerusalem. Noya’s parents heard strange, unusual sounds from Noya’s room. They rushed over and found their child looking very pale. Noya later on lost consciousness. The worried parents immediately phoned MDA’s 101 dispatch center. Debby Ya’acobov, MDA EMT, answered the emergency call within several seconds, immediately realized this was a life-risking situation and began instructing the parents how to conduct resuscitation on their child, while simultaneously deploying an MDA team to the scene.

Ido Schwarts, a standby MDA EMT who also resides in Har Homa, was notified of their emergency through MDA’s mobile app. He jumped out of bed, hopped on his MDA Medi-Cycle and rode to Noya’s house. Two other MDA standby First Responders, brothers Sharabi, were also reported of the incident using the same mobile app and hurried to the scene. Together, they performed lifesaving medical procedures on the infant until an MDA Mobile Intensive Care Unit, under the supervision of MDA paramedic, Akiva Pollack, and Senior EMT, Azat Jabber, arrived on the scene.

Eti and Roey Cohen, Noya’s parents: “We are very appreciative and grateful for the teams for saving Nota. To this day, a year later, we remain in touch with them. This incident was a learning experience that goes to show all parents must attend CPR classes. CPR skills are the mere difference between life and death.”

Shlomo Petrover, Manager of the MDA Jerusalem Region: “The beginning of the New Year demands us all to self-reflect. To look in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘did we operate as we should have?’ In a job like ours, saving lives, doing what we must do has a direct impact on the end result. When I look at the employees and volunteers of the Jerusalem region, I am certain that we will succeed at every mission. I am proud of you, and I am sure that you are too. I would like to use this opportunity to thank the municipality, the police and hospitals for their daily cooperation. I would also like to congratulate those honored today, and wish you all a sweet New Year and Gmar Chatima Tova.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)