In a moment every parent fears, a toddler nearly drowned in his family’s swimming pool.
Dan Moshe, just a year and eight months at the time, was playing in his family’s backyard in Natanya, when he almost drowned. A next-door neighbor heard the toddler’s anguished parents scream, “our child is not breathing, he swallowed a lot of water.”
The neighbor broke through the fence separating their yards, pulled the baby out of the water, and immediately called MAGEN DAVID ADOM for help.
The dispatcher instructed the neighbor on how to perform CPR while sending medics. Moments later, senior paramedic Oren Hadad arrived and found Dan Moshe lying wet on the edge of the pool. He was unconscious, was not breathing, and did not have a pulse. While Hadad fought for Dan Moshe’s life by continuing the resuscitation efforts begun by the neighbor, additional medics arrived.
A MICU team comprised of paramedics Gil Dekel, Nissim Sassi, and Itai Hadad transported little Dan Moshe to Laniado Hospital while continuing intensive resuscitation procedures.
Thankfully, along with the hospital’s medical team, they were able to stabilize Dan Moshe’s condition and bring back his heartbeat.
“It’s a war,” said paramedic Sassi of the urgency they felt while tending to Dan Moshe. “From the moment we started helping him, until his pulse came back at the hospital, we didn’t leave his side.”
For four days Dan Moshe lay in his hospital bed anesthetized and respirated until he finally opened his eyes. After a long rehabilitation, he was discharged home.
In honor of Dan Moshe’s second birthday, a day Dan Moshe’s parents were not sure their toddler would ever be able to celebrate, Dan Moshe’s family reunited with the MAGEN DAVID ADOM team who saved their child’s life.
The medics had been following Dan Moshe’s recovery over the previous four months and were glad to see him and his parents.
“The last time we saw Dan Moshe, he was wavering between life and death. We’re so happy to see him running and to hear his laughter.”
Dan Moshe’s parents were eager to thank the MAGEN DAVID ADOM medics. “You did everything you could,” they said gratefully. “God was with us; it’s really a miracle.”
“We are happy to be the emissaries,” the team replied at the joyous reunion. “It’s very exciting for us to see Dan Moshe 100% back to normal.”
