Jerusalem – The chief coordinator and founder of Jerusalem’s United Hatzalah rushed to the scene of a medical emergency this morning, despite suffering a broken leg while answering the call.
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Eli Beer was racing down the steps of his own building after receiving a frantic Hatzalah call at 10:13 this morning about an unconscious toddler when he slipped on the rain slicked stairs and fell down eight stairs.
Despite his own agonizing pain, Beer managed to get to his car and drove to the location of the emergency where he assisted three other volunteers who were already on scene.
In an interview that aired on Israeli TV Ch. 2, Beer admitted that driving was difficult but “like a good soldier, he put his injuries aside and went on with his mission.”
Only after the patient had been transported to the hospital did Beer ask one of his fellow EMTs to take a look at his ankle which was extremely swollen and discolored. Beer had ruptured and Torn ankle ligaments.
A second ambulance was called to the scene to take Beer to the hospital when yet another United Hatzalah call came in, informing the volunteers of a nearby multi-vehicle accident. Despite the objections of the ambulance crew chief, Beer insisted that the ambulance that was sent to transport him be sent to the scene of the accident. The ambulance returned for Beer after treating the car crash victims, none of whom were injured seriously and Beer was taken to the hospital where he was treated by orthopedic specialist, Dr. Michael Herman, another United Hatzalah volunteer.
Once his leg had been casted, Beer wheeled himself to the pediatric emergency room in order to check on the toddler he had treated earlier in the day, who was fully awake and alert.
“When I see the child and he is doing well, I completely forget about my leg,” said Beer.
Kol HaKavod. Mi Ke’Amcha Yisrael.
Bravo Eli, you are the best
truly special!
Amazing! Kol Hakovod and Refuah Sheaimah! I wish things like this would make world news!
Amazing, he should get a medal. What if he was in the middle of helping and his disability put him and his patient at risk???
great story and of course a very special person
Local city officials and federal officials dream of having local ambulance volunteers like hatzolah in other ethnic minority communities. They even offer funding for it because it cost them way less than having to pay official workers. To their dissatisfaction, only in the Jewish communities are there so many willing and highly motivated volunteers. They wish other communities emulated the Jewish ones in this regard. So yes, “mi keamcha yisroel”.
Yes other community would do the same thing like the 2 fdny paid permedics that left a pregnant women die in a resturant ( it’s was all over the news, I think even vin news wrote about it)
what bothers me is the distance between the bars in the crib-enough for a child to fall or climb out.
The uniqueness of Hazalah is the speed with which they respond to a call which can and does make the difference between life and death. It is fair to say of course that members of Hatzalah are not neing paid as are members of most emergency services and often can actually lose income by responding.