On Monday around 10 AM, a woman in her 80s suffered a cardiac arrest and lost consciousness, collapsing on the floor of her home on Schiller Street in Kfar Saba. Her relatives called emergency services for help.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Alex Felsen was at his office near the emergency when he was notified about the incident on his communication device. Alex ran out to his car and drove to the scene, arriving in 30 seconds. He found the woman lying on the floor, pulseless and not breathing.
Joined by the crew of a mobile intensive care unit, Felsen immediately initiated CPR on the woman, performing chest compressions while the intensive care crew attached a heart monitor, intubated, and administered medicine to the patient.
The intensive care crew was short-staffed, so Felsen called dispatch and requested backup, and United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yosef Shalom Malachi arrived at the scene and assisted with the CPR.
After 20 minutes of joint efforts, the woman’s heart began beating again, and she began to breathe on her own. She was still in serious but stable condition, and so was transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment.
“The professionalism and cooperation of all of the first responders at the scene were impressive,” said Felsen after the incident. “This is what we train for and it is an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to make a difference in someone’s life like this.”
