Long-time Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic Yitzhak Bendahan delivered his own baby daughter inside an ambulance on the way to the hospital last month, MDA recently reported.
Bendahan’s wife, Yael, was in advanced labor as they rushed to the hospital in the MDA ambulance that Bendahan had parked near his home in Beit Shemesh.
As they were driving to Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem neighborhood, his wife’s contractions became stronger and closer together. The Bendahans realized that there would not be enough time to reach the hospital before the baby arrived.
MDA paramedic delivers his own daughter
Bendahan parked the ambulance on the side of the road and delivered a healthy baby girl. The Bendahans said they did not know whether they were having a boy or a girl, which made it all the more exciting.
“As an MDA paramedic, I’ve delivered quite a few babies over the years, but I’d never experienced anything like this,” said Bendahan, who responds to medical emergencies across the Jerusalem region. “I simply did what I know how to do. Beyond the joy of the birth itself, having the privilege of delivering my own daughter with my own hands is a moment I’ll never forget.”