A Second Chance
by Lizi Marks

As five year old Elazar Weisz gasped for breath, choking on a "jawbreaker" candy lodged in his throat, Rita Carla Bron performed the Heimlich Maneuver and saved his life. 

Rita Carla (below, right), a student from Los Angeles at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY), volunteers at the Weisz family home each Wednesday as part of the seminary’s Chessed Program.  She never expected that her time spent aiding the mother of five small children would translate into the chance to save a life.

In November 2007, MMY offered interested students a chance to take a class offered by Shai Jaskoll, an instructor for the American Heart Association, and receive certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).  This particular course was geared for healthcare professionals and included instruction for conducting CPR on infants, children, and adults.  The class also trained MMY students in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and the Heimlich Maneuver. 

At the time, Rita Carla was unsure about taking the course, believing that she would have numerous opportunities in the future to learn CPR.  As the course organizer, I worked hard to recruit the minimum number of students needed to offer the class.  Despite the general lack of interest among MMY students, I successfully convinced Rita Carla and others to promptly attain CPR certification using the motto “Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.” 

Rita Carla commented, “Looking back, I thank G-d that I took the CPR course when I did.  Without it, I don’t think I would have known what to do when I saw Elazar choking.”  Rita Carla had to perform the Heimlich Maneuver five times until the jawbreaker dislodged from the child’s throat.  She said, “Elazar was behind me, and I heard this noise, a struggling for breath.  When I turned around, he couldn’t breathe and I acted instinctively, recalling the CPR course I took a few months before.” 

The general public tends to brush aside the importance of emergency healthcare performed by ordinary citizens.  The most widespread responses against attaining CPR certification are, “I would freeze up if I ever really had to perform CPR,” or “I don’t have the time to learn.”

How could a human being not be interested in saving a fellow man’s life?  One never knows what the future holds.  Perhaps a close relative, family friend, or complete stranger will need help one day.  At such times, a person who has the ability to impact a situation positively can make a huge difference in someone’s life.  The CPR course taken by MMY students gave them the skills necessary to assist people in various circumstances.

Performing CPR, which involves a series of manual chest compressions and assisted breaths, can restore stopped breathing or heartbeat and dramatically increase the survival rate of a critical patient. The faster oxygen can be supplied to the brain of such a person, the greater chance of survival with minimal or no brain damage.  In addition to CPR, the Heimlich Maneuver is another important technique.  It can relieve choking by forcing out an object blocking the throat with a rush of air from the lungs.  Moreover, the AED can help save patients suffering from cardiac arrest.

After saving Elazar’s life, Rita Carla returned to MMY and spent an hour and a half reviewing her CPR course booklet.  “Just in case this ever happens again,” she said, “I want to be prepared to give someone a second chance.”