Menachem Shapiro
IsraelSeen Exclusive – Helping a Suffering Rescuer
One evening during the recent summer vacation, an extended family got together for a family barbeque at a local park in Lod. The time passed and they were still lounging around the barbeque close to midnight when one of the children, a 7-year-old boy, started choking on a piece of chicken. There were shrieks and cries of alarm as the little boy desperately struggled to breathe, his face rapidly changing color. Someone called for medical help and an urgent alert went out from United Hatzalah dispatch center.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Menachem Shapiro was already in bed when he received the alert. The location was just a couple of streets away and the dedicated volunteer immediately jumped out of bed, into his slippers, out of the house and onto his ambucycle. He flew along the roads and arrived within a matter of seconds.
An aunt who knew some basic first aid had performed the Heimlich maneuver on the child and succeeded in releasing most of the obstruction. Shapiro found the boy coughing and gasping for breath as his body strove to replenish its depleted oxygen supply. Shapiro reassured the little boy, encouraging him gently to breathe as he took his vital signs. The child soon recovered and within a few minutes, he was totally back to himself.
Pleased and grateful that the incident had ended so well, Shapiro turned to go when he noticed the aunt slumped on a chair. Approaching her, the experienced psychotrauma volunteer immediately realized that she was suffering an acute panic attack from the tremendous stress of the last few minutes. Her eyes were rolling and she stopped responding completely, barely even reacting to painful stimuli. Shapiro quickly implemented some techniques he had learned in his psychotrauma course and began treating the woman. After bringing the woman back to a state of mind where she could interact with her surroundings once again, Shapiro supported the woman to process the experience in a healthier manner and empowered her to slowly come back to the present. With Shapiro’s professional help, the aunt regained her equilibrium and recovered from the severe anxiety attack. Shapiro’s quick arrival and assistance for the second patient at the scene helped prevent the panic attack from turning into something much worse.
