Assuta Ashdod’s Hanukkah Miracle

The night of December 16th will forever stick in the memory of Gan Yavne resident and father of two, Ben Mizrachi. Ben was driving home from work to plan his family birthday celebration when his phone rang: it was the call every parent dreads.

His panicked daughter's voice on the other end was shrieking, “Dad, get to the hospital! Eitan flew off his bike - he’s hurt! They evacuated him from the park in an ambulance". Ben swung the car around; what should have been an easy 15-minute daily commute was now a rush-hour traffic jam filled with Ben’s horrifying thoughts and a whole lot of prayers to get him through.

Ben came running into Assuta Ashdod’s emergency room and was immediately escorted to the trauma ward where a harrowing sight awaited. His young son, Eitan, was surrounded by five doctors and paramedics all working to bandage his hemorrhaging 10 centimeter (4 inch) wound.

Before Ben could even react, one of the paramedics on the team turned to him. “Abbaleh”, the paramedic called him, endearingly. “Don’t worry - everything is under control.” This tiny little supportive phrase gave Ben the peace of mind needed to get through the rest of the night, knowing that his son was in good hands.

When they were finished, the doctors explained to Ben that Eitan lost control of the handlebar and the entire metal piece entered his groin by force. Miraculously, the handlebar missed his stomach by a centimeter, avoiding damage to the main arteries. Because it was so close, Eitan required constant medical supervision within the ICU, so Ben spent the night in the intensive care unit. During those long blackened hours, an endless stream of doctors came in and out to check on Eitan. When his blood pressure dropped significantly, he was given a number of immediate transfusions and his pressure was checked constantly.

“Although it was an intense, stressful night, the medical team was so attentive and compassionate,” Ben remembered. He was especially grateful for their communication; each doctor took the time to answer all of his and his wife’s questions, patiently.

The following morning, after Eitan’s blood pressure tests came back normal and all internal injuries were under control, he was transferred to the children’s unit for observation. Although his injuries certainly looked scary - he was entirely black and blue from the impact - Eitan was not only doing well, but also becoming quite popular with ward nurses who were impressed with his lack of panic or fear.

After a few more tests, Eitan was released to rest at home. Thanks to the heroes at Assuta Ashdod, Ben’s family was comfortable and supported during what could have been a terrifying experience. Ben calls the whole story his “Hanukkah miracle”.