Thankfully, we had a certified EMT on staff, and he was on the scene almost immediately, assessing the situation, and ready to provide whatever assistance was deemed necessary. Within moments, sirens blared and a highly dramatic element was added to the already complex carpool hour. Soon fire engines were lined up alongside the building and frantic first responders converged on the site, prepared to confront the aftermath of a horrific accident with a potentially unthinkable outcome.
However, in what can only be attributed to pure hashgacha pratis, the child suffered only minor injuries. Miraculously, the part of the wall where he was pushed into the building was the only piece of wall that was constructed of drywall (covered with stucco), rather than brick or concrete.
Incredibly, the stucco cushioned the boy, and the false wall absorbed the bulk of the blow. One of his legs was broken, but otherwise the young student escaped virtually unscathed.
He became quite the celebrity for a while, as other students vied for an opportunity to steer his wheelchair and assist him with daily tasks. Baruch Hashem, within a few months, he was fit as a fiddle, with quite a tale to tell.
That building no longer stands on that unique corner straddling two distinct neighborhoods. In its place a humongous, modernistic structure commands attention and admiration from passersby.
However, for those of us who were present on that long-ago “Snow Day” that location shall forever live on in our collective memory as the place where we were privileged to experience an undisputed miracle from On High.