My heart skipped a beat when the phone rang. Why was my neighbor calling me? I had just sent my son there to play. A regular play date, on a regular day.  I didn’t even hear what she said; besides “It’s your baby. You need to come now!” Panic surged through me as I rushed over to her house as fast as I could, calling my husband frantically on the way. Somehow I managed to convey to him, in my hysteria, that something happened to my baby.

By the time I got there, all I was able to do was hug and try to comfort my scared, shaken little boy as Hatzolah volunteers were loading him into the ambulance.  I squeezed his hand as we sped off to the hospital for observation; thanking Hashem he was alive, as tears poured down my face.

Little did I know we had almost lost him.

They told me the events that I had missed. Moishe was playing happily and found a marble on the floor. He probably thought it was a candy and put it in his mouth. My neighbor “happened” to look at him at that very moment and noticed that something was wrong. B’Chasdei Hashem, she had her “wits about her” and called Hatzolah immediately.  They arrived in seconds.  They treated Moishe on the spot, and out popped the marble, within seconds.

They literally saved Moishe’s life. If the call had come 30 seconds later, they said, there may not have been anything they could have done to save him. I try not to think about what might have happened. I try not to think about how scared he must have been as he lay there not breathing, hovering between life and death.

If Hatzolah was not called, we would not have our precious Moishe today. If Hatzolah hadn’t come when they did, I would not be sharing this story about our pride and joy.

We all know Hatzolah is there for us. I know they save lives every day. But I was sure I would never need them. I hear the sirens. I see the ambulances.  I see our neighbors and friends with their radios, always available with compassion and professionalism. But it’s different when it hits home. It’s different when it’s my call.

Please. Make it your call. I urge all of you to support Hatzolah as I now do.  Don’t wait until you need them – to realize how much you need them.

Become a Tomeich Hatzolah TODAY!

Click here to donate: www.lakewoodhatzolah.com

All donations of $216 or more entitle you to an entry into a raffle to WIN 2 free round trip tickets to Eretz Yisroel.

Please consider monthly installments for your Tomeich donation.

Donate $18/month for 12 months –1 entry. Donate $36/month for 12 months – get 4 entries. Donate $54/month for 12 months – get 8 entries.