Nursing Student and Quick Defibrillator Use Save Man's Life in Kfar Saba Mall
A Kfar Saba resident who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at a local shopping mall was saved thanks to a quick-thinking nursing student, an accessible defibrillator, and rapid medical intervention.
A routine afternoon visit to a shopping mall in Kfar Saba turned into a dramatic life-saving event when 50-year-old Yitzhak Haim suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest. Thanks to the quick thinking of a nursing student, an accessible defibrillator, rapid emergency response by Magen David Adom, and subsequent intensive care at Meir Medical Center, his life was saved.
Statistics show that approximately 90% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims do not survive. However, Haim was fortunate. "It started as a routine and happy outing. We finished a parent-teacher meeting at my son's school, and he asked to go to G Mall to grab something to eat before heading home," Haim recalled. "While walking through the mall, I suddenly felt dizzy and fell to my knees. The next time I opened my eyes, I was already in the intensive care cardiac unit at Meir."
At that exact moment, Talia Tugandhaft, a second-year nursing student at the Meir Nursing Academy and an urology department staff member, was nearby. Tugandhaft did not hesitate. "A second after passing them, I heard shouts. I turned around and saw a man lying face down on the floor. I quickly turned him over and saw that he was struggling to breathe and turning blue. We raised his legs while his wife called MDA. I spoke with the dispatcher and asked someone to run for a defibrillator," she recounted.
A passing medic assisted with chest compressions, and upon the arrival of the defibrillator, it was quickly deployed to deliver a shock before the ambulance arrived. Although Haim briefly lost his pulse and breathing, the team persisted until the MDA crew arrived and took over.
Haim was evacuated to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, where medical teams continued battling for his life in the trauma room of the Emergency Department. Dr. Nir Paska, Dr. Hikhmat Balaum, and nurse Gil Ben Yaakov rushed to assist. "Yitzhak arrived unconscious while life-saving resuscitation efforts were underway. In the trauma room, we performed advanced CPR using innovative equipment and medications. He suffered a rhythm disorder that required catheterization, and after stabilizing him, he was urgently transferred to the cardiology cath lab," they stated.
Cardiologists emphasized that the continuum of care—beginning with the nursing student's quick actions and defibrillator use, followed by rapid arrival at the emergency department—proved critical in saving his life. Dr. Alex Omelchenko, director of the Arrhythmia Unit at Meir Medical Center, explained: "Yitzhak arrived with impaired heart function due to extensive cardiomyopathy. The loss of consciousness resulted from a severe ventricular arrhythmia. Following successful resuscitation, we performed catheterization to rule out myocardial infarction and subsequently implanted an advanced biventricular defibrillator to prevent future cardiac arrest events and improve cardiac function. The procedure went successfully, and Yitzhak was discharged home feeling well."
Reflecting on the ordeal, Haim concluded: "In retrospect, my son's suggestion to visit the mall saved my life. Had this happened at home, there would not have been a nearby defibrillator or someone to assist so quickly. I feel as though I have received my life as a gift all over again. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Talia, the MDA crew, and the dedicated medical teams at Meir for fighting for my life."
