4 Critical Minutes: How Hagit Saved Her Husband's Life

It happened about two and a half months ago. Baruch Levy felt unwell, thought he was about to faint, and called his wife Hagit. Hagit rushed home to find her husband lying unconscious on the sofa after suffering cardiac arrest. In a panic, she called MDA, and the dispatcher on the line instructed her on how to save her husband's life.

In the recording released by MDA and published on the mako website, Hagit, an accountant with no medical training, can be heard pleading for help from the dispatcher. The dispatcher, in turn, tries to calm and instruct her on how to assist her husband. "Go to him for a moment, see if he's breathing," the dispatcher is heard saying. "He doesn't look like (he's breathing). Please!" Hagit's frightened voice is heard.

The dispatcher remained calm and clearly guided Hagit on how to treat Baruch. "Take your hand, place one palm on top of the other, and start doing compressions (chest compressions) in the center of his chest," explained Merav, the dispatcher. "Between his nipple line, start doing compressions, place, place one hand on top of the other and begin compressing."

For about 4 minutes, Hagit continued the resuscitation efforts until the MDA ambulance arrived. These were four critical minutes: had Hagit not acted bravely, Baruch's brain oxygen supply would have stopped, God forbid.

When the ambulance arrived, Naor, the MDA paramedic, took over the resuscitation and transported Baruch to Kaplan Hospital. He remained ventilated and sedated for 17 days until he awoke, with Heaven's mercy.

A few weeks later, an emotional meeting took place between Hagit, Baruch, and the dispatcher Merav. "I want to tell you - the person who saved your life is not me, it's your wife, plain and simple. Although with our help, but it's your wife."

Professor Kobi George, head of the cardiology department at Kaplan Medical Center, said that "the resuscitation performed by Mr. Baruch's wife effectively saved his life, as it caused his pulse and blood pressure to return quickly enough to prevent brain damage."

The wonderful story of Baruch and Hagit illustrates the importance of being skilled in providing basic first aid, to offer initial treatment until the ambulance arrives. If you ever encounter an emergency situation, God forbid, call for help, and until the ambulance arrives - follow the instructions from the dispatcher and save lives.