Leaving My Kids To Save Another — Sacrificing My Time To Save A Life
One evening, a babysitter was looking after some children at their home in Bnei Brak. One little boy, who was severely allergic to milk products, was jealous of his siblings happily munching on pizza. The two-year-old child grabbed a piece of pizza from his brother before he could be stopped. The effect was instantaneous and his entire body immediately broke out in hives, swelling to drastic proportions. The alarmed babysitter called emergency dispatch which alerted the nearest United Hatzalah emergency medical service volunteers to the dire emergency.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yaakov Borer was bathing his children when he received the alert. Leaving his kids with his wife, Yaakov dashed out of his house, jumped on his ambucycle and tore over to the address. Arriving in under 90 seconds, Yaakov sprinted into the home. He found the child swiftly losing consciousness from oxygen deprivation due to the almost complete constriction of his airway. He was moments away from stopping to breathe. Fortunately, this active medic carries an EpiPen in his United Hatzalah medic bag. Hands moving with lightning speed, Yaakov injected the lifesaving epinephrine into the child’s thigh. He then grabbed his oxygen tank and ambu-mask, administering assisted ventilation to the barely conscious child. Yaakov kept up the artificial respiration for almost ten minutes until the little boy’s condition stabilized. His breathing normalized and he regained consciousness.
Yaakov calmed the distraught babysitter and crying children as he monitored the young patient. Fifteen minutes later, an intensive care ambulance arrived to facilitate medical transport. Yaakov left the home full of exhilaration, excitement, and emotion. It was sobering to realize that the child had been minutes away from death, and Yaakov was filled with gratitude that he had the tools and ability to save his life. Returning to his freshly-bathed children, Yaakov kissed each one good-night, feeling the vibrancy of their lives and knowing that there was another child alive at that moment because of him.
