Stories From the Streets: Cell Phone Connection

My name is Alan Malka, and I am a volunteer EMT with United Hatzalah of Israel. I live and work in Petach Tikvah, a city located near the metropolitan center of the country. Recently I needed some repairs done on my cell phone, so I headed to the Hot Mobile service center near my house. To my surprise, the service agent behind the desk was a man whose life I had saved after a serious motor vehicle accident a few months prior. 

I went into the store and saw there were people in front of me in line, so I sat down.  As soon as the customer in front of me was called, I heard a customer service agent call out, “You in the orange jacket—you, United Hatzalah! Come here, angel. What can I help you with?”

I was a bit surprised by this greeting. I went over and sat down in front of the service agent and showed him my phone and explained the problem. He ignored me. He began to look through video files on his own phone and continued ignoring me. I thought this was weird, especially as he had singled me out and called me over. I said, “Excuse me,” I cleared my throat, nothing seemed to help. He was intently focused on his own phone. 

After a few moments he picked up his head, looked at me with a big smile, and said, “I have to tell you something. Six months ago I was involved in a very serious accident on Pines Street in Petach Tikvah. I sustained severe injuries to my limbs, a few broken bones, head contusions, and other injuries. As it would happen, a volunteer on a United Hatzalah ambucycle was the first responder at the scene. He began treating my injuries and calming me down. This EMT saved my life.”

The service representative then showed me on his cell phone a photo of a crashed motorcycle on the street, and right next to it an orange ambucycle bearing the familiar crest of the organization with which I volunteer. I looked closely at the image—then it dawned on me. I asked him, “How do you feel now?” He replied by telling me about the injuries to his hands, the scars he still has, and the months of rehabilitation he had to undergo to come back to work. He also told me about the pains that will not go away. 

I looked at him and said, “You were lying on the sidewalk right next to the entrance to a building. Your father arrived and was in hysteria. Later your mother came, and she was crying.”  

“Yes,” he told me, his eyes widening with shock and excitement.

“It is terrific to see you in such good shape after all this time,” I told him. “I was the EMT who treated you.” 

The man got up from behind his desk, came around to my side of the counter, and gave me the biggest hug I can remember. He thanked me profusely. “You are truly an angel,” he said. 

This story warmed my heart and filled me with a sense of self-worth and gratitude to the organization with which I volunteer and that enabled me to save this man. It just goes to show how connected we all are and how miracles really occur. 

When we finished speaking, I wished him continued good health and a speedy and complete recovery, and we promised to stay in touch. I left him by saying it was an honor for me to be able to help him in his time of need and that whenever he can, he should remember to always help others.

Alan Malka is a volunteer EMT with United Hatzalah in Petach Tikvah, Israel.