MDA medics finish building woman's sukkah for her after treating head injury

A woman in her 60s was injured in Netanya after an iron pole fell and struck her in the head while she was building a sukkah, after which Magen David Adom medics who treated her decided to finish constructing it for her ahead of the Sukkot holiday.

The woman had begun building the sukkah beneath her home as part of preparations for the approaching holiday when an iron pole fell while the upper supports were being tied together and struck her head.

A family acquaintance who had been helping her with the construction called MDA's 101 emergency hotline, which dispatched rapid-response medics and an ambulance to the scene.

Rapid-response medics Nachman Levy and Netanel Peretz, MDA EMTs, senior EMT Ben-El Amira of MDA's motorcycle unit, and an ambulance team led by MDA EMT Shmuel Mami quickly examined the woman and provided initial medical treatment.

But their assistance did not end there.

"I was conscious when the MDA team arrived, and I told them exactly what had happened. While they were examining me and giving me medical treatment, they asked where the sukkah I had started building was," the woman recalled. "I was sure they were asking so they could understand which iron pole had hit me, but then I saw them continuing to build my sukkah."

Amira, a senior EMT with MDA-Hatzalah Sharon who was the first to arrive on a yellow emergency motorcycle, said the team decided to help once they determined that the woman's condition was stable.

"After the team and I examined her, provided medical treatment, and understood that the woman's condition was stable and that she did not require urgent evacuation to the hospital, we wanted to make her happy ahead of the holiday and build the sukkah she had not finished," he said.

The woman said she was deeply moved by the gesture.

"I have no words. This is a team of amazing people who arrived to perform one mitzvah, providing medical treatment, and performed another mitzvah by building the sukkah," she said. "I did not know how to thank them because I was so moved. You made me happy and helped me very much. I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday."

MDA issues safety guidelines ahead of Sukkot

MDA also issued safety guidelines for building and using sukkot ahead of the holiday.

Those building a sukkah in a yard should wear closed shoes and clear nearby vegetation where snakes or other dangerous reptiles could be hiding. Keep access routes to and from the sukkah clear of obstacles so occupants can leave quickly if necessary.

Position the sukkah at a safe distance from electrical installations and gas canisters, and do not use open flames near gas or electrical equipment during construction.

When building a sukkah on a high-rise balcony, take care to prevent heavy objects from falling and injuring passersby. Secure awnings, planters, wooden boards, roofing material, and other objects firmly.

Keep children away while sukkah walls are being erected so they are not struck by falling parts. Securely connect the walls to one another to prevent collapse, especially when they are made of wood or other rigid materials.

In case of injury, MDA advised calling 101 or using the "My MDA" application as quickly as possible, then following instructions from medics and paramedics at the emergency dispatch center until crews arrive.