A quiet afternoon at a daycare center turned into a medical nightmare on Wednesday when an infant lost consciousness, prompting an immediate mobilization of emergency services. First responders arrived at the scene in Gedera to find the child in a life threatening state. The medical teams initiated frantic resuscitation efforts on site before rushing the young patient to a nearby hospital, where physicians are currently fighting to stabilize the baby's condition.
The emergency unfolded at approximately 2:47 PM when dispatchers received an urgent distress call regarding a four month old boy who had suddenly lost consciousness. United Hatzalah and Magen David Adom emergency crews reached the daycare facility within minutes of the alert. Upon arrival, medical personnel discovered the infant was completely unresponsive, displaying no signs of a pulse or independent breathing.
First responders immediately recognized the extreme severity of the situation and initiated complex cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A husband and wife volunteer team, Alex and Asia Sek, alongside fellow United Hatzalah medic Nir Muki, were among the first to render aid. When we arrived at the place following a report received that the toddler was located in his bed unconscious, we were told that he did not wake up from his afternoon sleep, the medics stated.
The initial team worked tirelessly to restore the infant's vital signs while awaiting additional intensive care backup. We performed prolonged resuscitation operations on him, and he was evacuated during the continuation of resuscitation operations to the hospital when his condition was defined as critical, the United Hatzalah team added.
Magen David Adom emergency medical technician Ran Menusis also arrived early to assist in the high-stakes rescue operation. I received a report about a baby found unconscious in a daycare, Menusis recalled when describing the chaotic scene. When I arrived at the place, they brought the baby to me, and I immediately noticed that he was without a pulse and without breathing, the technician explained.
The rescue operation quickly escalated as additional advanced life support teams arrived at the daycare to provide specialized medical interventions. With the assistance of additional Magen David Adom teams who arrived at the place, we began to perform advanced resuscitation operations that included giving an electrical shock from the defibrillator device, Menusis stated. While continuing the intensive medical treatment, we evacuated the baby to the hospital while we were fighting for his life, the technician noted.
Paramedics transferred the four month old to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, maintaining continuous chest compressions and respiratory support throughout the ambulance ride. The medical staff at the hospital took over treatment immediately upon arrival, classifying the baby's condition as critical. Pediatric specialists and intensive care doctors are currently utilizing all available resources to save the child.
This tragic event is part of a worrying pattern of similar daycare emergencies that have occurred across the country in recent months, raising intense concern among local parents. Many of these heartbreaking cases involve infants who simply fail to wake up from their routine naps, forcing caretakers and medical teams into sudden, desperate rescue attempts.
Just a few weeks ago, a similar medical emergency occurred in Netivot when a three month old baby lost consciousness while under the care of a babysitter. In that instance, the infant's parents had to rush to the hospital from their workplaces in central Israel while emergency teams performed advanced resuscitation. The recurrent nature of these sudden daycare collapses has left families and community members deeply shaken as they await updates on the infant from Gedera.
