A dramatic lifesaving effort at the central Chabad shul in Kiryat Malachi, Israel, came full circle last week when the man who survived a cardiac arrest unexpectedly appeared at the wedding of the son of the United Hatzalah volunteer who helped save his life.
About six weeks ago, Roni Nakash suddenly collapsed during davening at the shul in Nachlas Har Chabad after suffering cardiac arrest.
Among those present was Elnadiv Tam, a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT, who immediately began treating Nakash while reporting the emergency over his radio and calling for additional responders.
Tam began CPR and used a defibrillator as additional United Hatzalah volunteers rushed to the scene and joined the resuscitation efforts.
Their efforts succeeded in restoring Nakash’s heartbeat. He regained full consciousness before being transported to the hospital and was able to speak with the medical team at the scene.
According to the medical team, the quick identification of the cardiac arrest, immediate response and rapid use of the defibrillator were critical in saving Nakash’s life and preventing irreversible damage.
Six weeks later, Tam was celebrating his son’s wedding when an unexpected guest arrived at the simcha.
Nakash walked into the wedding healthy and on his feet, coming personally to thank the man who had helped save his life.
The two shared an emotional reunion, just weeks after Tam’s rapid response helped turn what could have been a tragedy into a remarkable recovery.
