Reut Ivri was nine months pregnant when her husband, Abraham, began working last week as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national Emergency Medical Services.
Like any expecting mom with a hardworking partner, Reut worried that her husband would have to be at work when she gave birth to their sixth child — and with good reason: Reut went into labor this past Saturday in Jerusalem while Abraham was on duty.
Luckily, that didn’t stop the paramedic father-to-be from being present for his daughter’s birth — in fact, while he was on the clock, he assisted with the delivery!
Abraham Ivri started working at MDA a week ago.
His wife Reut, 9 months pregnant, was worried that her husband would not be by her side when she was ready to give birth.
While on duty, Reut went into labor and it was the husband that delivered their 6th child.
Mazal tov ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aEPaPLgkp2
— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) July 21, 2020
As reported today by the Jerusalem Post, Abraham called the MDA once Reut alerted him that she was going into labor. While Abraham frantically searched for a replacement for his own shift, a friend and a volunteer paramedic, Orit Ohana, drove to the Ivris’ home to help Reut and bring her to the hospital.
But Abraham caught up to his wife’s ambulance — just in time to assist with the baby’s delivery. Wow!
What’s more, this was Abraham’s first time assisting a birth as an EMT. As he told the Jerusalem Post, “[I had] mixed emotions. I experienced the event in an extraordinary way — both as an EMT and as a father.” He noted that upon arriving at the hospital, the nurses were confused as to why someone in an MDA uniform was in the maternity ward.
As incredible as this story is, this is not the first time that an Israeli EMT technician used their skills to welcome their own child! The MDA reports that, just last year, EMT Lita Barzan began the delivery process at home while her colleague, dispatcher Moti Rokach, coached her over the phone. MDA paramedics arrived soon after to assist the delivery at Barzan’s home and take Barzan and her baby to the hospital.
Especially during a pandemic, stories like these remind us what heroes we have in our medical professionals. Mazel tov to Reut, Abraham, and the entire Ivri family!
Photo by MDA
