"The Tests Indicated Brain Damage": Noam David's Mother Shares a Series of Miracles

During the recent vacation filled with tragic accidents, we woke up one morning to news of yet another drowning incident, this time of a two-year-old in a private pool at a villa where the Levi family was vacationing in the village of Sdot Micha. For many days, the people of Israel prayed for the child Noam David ben Sarah Helen Rachel, and you might wonder what those prayers accomplished?

"I want to tell the people of Israel that their prayers worked miracles, and I have the privilege to publicize the miracle," Noam David's mother, Sarah, tells me excitedly. Knowing of past cases, I was hesitant to ask how great the miracle was and whether Noam David was free of brain damage, but Sarah eventually tells all.

How did it all start?

"During the recent holidays, my extended family went for a vacation at a villa in Sdot Micha. We arrived on Monday, and on Tuesday morning, we were preparing for a family outing. I went to the local supermarket to shop, and when I returned, I was met with chaos—ambulances and police surrounded the villa, and a helicopter was in the air, with Noam David already inside on the way to the hospital. I wanted to believe it wasn't related to us, but within seconds, I was swept into the most difficult whirlpool of my life."

Before you arrived, did anyone call to update you?

"Everyone was scared to call me, unsure of what to say. The only one who did call was my father-in-law, who wasn't even with us on vacation, but apparently, my husband called him to update. I didn't answer because I was in the middle of driving, and when I arrived, they were too afraid to tell me."

My Mother Almost Gave Up

What really happened there?

"What happened was that, somehow, Noam David got into the pool and started drowning. My young nephew saw him and immediately called my mother. My mother, who is a midwife at Shaare Zedek Hospital, knows how to perform resuscitation. She laid Noam David down and began CPR, which, in retrospect, those critical minutes saved his life."

Sarah adds emotionally: "My mother gave Noam David life twice, once when she delivered him at Shaare Zedek and the second time after the drowning." Taking a deep breath, Sarah recounts: "At some point, my mother broke down and wanted to stop the resuscitation. She raised her hands in surrender and almost collapsed. Anyone who knows understands that performing CPR for seven minutes until the rescue teams arrived is incredibly difficult. But my brother-in-law stood by her, encouraging her not to give up, saying, 'You're not giving up, you're saving Noam David.' My mother heroically completed the task and granted Noam David new life."

Why did it take so long for the rescue teams to arrive?

"There was a lot of confusion. They were very close but couldn't find the exact location. Recently, one of the paramedics who came to help visited and confirmed that it was indeed challenging to find the place."

And what did your husband, who was there, do during such crucial moments?

"Of course, there was the initial shock, but afterwards, he recovered with the help of my brother-in-law and began to recite Psalms. He told me that after reading three chapters of Psalms, the pulse returned. It was yet another miracle in the chain of miracles we experienced."

And when you arrived?

"First of all, I was hysterical. I wanted to see him, but I realized he was already on his way to the hospital with my husband. I didn't know his true condition; they only told me he was in good hands and unconscious. It was very hard for me; I couldn't stop crying. Those are the hardest moments anyone can face—a lack of certainty about their child's life. Afterwards, we got into my brother-in-law's car and drove to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. On the way, I calmed down a bit and stopped crying. I began sending messages to everyone I could to pray for Noam David ben Sarah Helen Rachel. Beyond that, I didn't care what happened or how it happened. I just wanted prayers, and for Hashem to return him to me healthy and whole."

I feel that Sarah is reliving all the trauma again, and I try to ease up, but Sarah insists. From her perspective, a great and apparent miracle took place here, and it must be shared with all of Israel: "Understand, it's not just one miracle; it's a series of miracles. One such miracle was how each family member took charge. Hashem Himself pulled the strings. At the beginning of the event, my sister immediately removed all the other children from the scene so they wouldn't witness and experience all the surrounding trauma, avoiding life-long scars. My brother-in-law took charge of my husband, wisely calming the situation. My mother was with the child, aided by another sister-in-law who helped hold his head, while a sister-in-law waited outside to greet me and guide me on what I was about to see. It was like a guided puzzle."

"The miracles continued without stopping," Sarah emphasizes and elaborates: "When we arrived at the hospital, I saw Noam David for the first time. It was unbearably difficult. He lay there making strange noises. The doctor told me these noises indicated brain damage, and the tests also showed this. My heart sank even further than I thought possible."

The Hardest Day of My Life

And what is the real situation, if I may ask?

"I'll tell you the whole process. Although, I don't remember much of what happened at the hospital in the first few hours. I was completely foggy, only remembering unbearably intense feelings—it takes enormous strength to face such a situation. I don't know where I found the strength. Likely, Hashem provided the strength along with the trial. At the hospital, they told us they were putting him to sleep, and only on the third or fourth day would we know his condition, as those days could develop brain edema, which could lead, God forbid, to loss. I wasn't myself, couldn’t handle it, and asked to be sedated from sheer helplessness. I thought there was no way to survive waiting three or four days to find out what was happening. I counted the seconds and moments, and everything went by so incredibly slowly, the slowest in the world. I can say it was the blackest day of my life. I couldn't stop crying, and from crying so much, I couldn't see anything anymore. My in-laws constantly strengthened us with words of faith and providence, which gave us a bit of fuel to survive those days."

And how do you really survive?

"The next day I already felt stronger, infused with faith. I believed everything would be fine in the end. I also constantly talked to Noam David, telling him: 'Noam David, I believe everything will be fine, and you'll get through this.' I already felt different from the first day, like angels were holding me."

How do you even manage to sleep knowing these days are so crucial?

"Who sleeps at all?! We couldn't fall asleep from such tension. Every beep startled us. Then came the third day, and the doctors decided to do a test and slightly reduced the sedatives. We sang songs to him, talked to him, and continuously gave him a sense of security. The doctors indeed saw positive responses and were very pleased. We understood that the prayers were working. The next day, on the fourth day, the doctors wanted to wake him fully, but a lung issue was discovered, so they postponed it another day to Shabbat."

From Sarah's speaking pace, I understand that Shabbat marked the big turn, or as she continuously calls it, "the great miracle": "On Shabbat, they decided to fully wake him, despite his fever spiking. I must commend one of the special nurses in the department who fought with the doctors to ensure Noam David's awakening wasn't postponed, and she succeeded. Noam David opened his eyes; the emotions were sky high, and it was so moving. We felt like we had received our child as a gift. He still wasn't feeling well, shaking all over in frightening tremors, and biting the pacifier hard, which worried the medical staff into thinking it was a reaction of brain damage. But I didn't want to believe all this talk, and I didn't stop whispering in Noam David's ear: 'You'll be healthy and strong.' I don't know how I had the strength to do that."

"Gradually, he started to recover, and we began to believe he would indeed be healthy. At one point, he watched a teddy bear video on a computer and quietly said 'teddy,' and then I knew my child was aware of himself. We immediately told the doctors, and they were utterly shocked, knowing that once a child speaks like that, it is a sign of no brain damage. We were overjoyed. Later on, he started to turn over in bed and suddenly wanted to eat, responding nicely to various things."

And how are you today?

"Today, we were just released; no one here believes the great miracle that happened. The doctor who received him in the first few minutes came up to us and said, 'For such things, I work.' Everyone understands something extraordinary happened here. After all, within two weeks from the start of the story, we are home with a healthy and whole child."

In conclusion, Sarah wants to convey a message: "I want to say two things to the people of Israel. First, thank you for being full partners in our great efforts. I know of hundreds of Psalms read for his healing, and I saw it myself on an app. Thank you for 1,000 challah baking prayers you did for us, and thank you for all the help you provided. Secondly, to parents whose children are sick, please take things in the right perspective. Thank God your child is alive and breathing—say thanks, because everything else is truly a bonus."