Medical miracle in Jerusalem: Hadassah revives teen after heart attack
When the family entered the 17-year-old's room, they found her lying on the floor - blue to the face, without a pulse.
By ZACHARY KEYSERDonia Mashasha pictured with her brothers, alongside Dr. Gil Dagan - who led the fight for her life. (photo credit: HADASSAH MOUNT SCOPUS)
Hadassah medical staff saved the life of a 17-year-old girl, Donia Mashasha, who suffered from cardiac arrest just before celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the holiday which ends the month of Ramadan.On the day of the incident, the Mashasha family was gathered at their home in Beit Hanina preparing for the traditional breakfast of vermicelli and dates.However, after hearing a crash come from Donia's room, the mood suddenly changed - for good reason.When the family entered the 17-year-old's room, they found her lying on the floor - blue to the face, without a pulse.Her father Ziad, made a split second decision to drive Donia to the Hadassah-University Medical Center, on Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus three miles up the road, rather than wait for an ambulance - in order to save time that they didn't have, to save his daughter's life.Her brothers, one of whom was trained in first aid, gave Donia CPR the entire way to the hospital - from the house, to the car, to the ER.She arrived at the hospital without a pulse - the heart monitor was showing a flat line, "horrifying" the Mashasha family.Around a dozen Hadssah doctors and nurses - including Doctors Momen Abbasi, Akiva Brin and Gil Dagan, who led the fight for her life - worked tirelessy to revive Donia for over a half hour, when suddenly her heart started to beat again - thumping steadily, bringing life back into her body and tears of joy to her loved ones.“The doctors and other medical personnel fought like lions,” said Ziad. “I can’t describe our feelings when her heart beat once again. They saved my precious girl. They brought her back to life.”Afterwards, the Hadassah medical staff used preventative measures to reduce the risk of brain damage that normally accompanies patients who suffered from cardiac arrest, especially those who arrived at the ER without a pulse - due to the lack of oxygen and blood flow reaching the brain, sometimes irreparable damage which can occur in as little as 4-6 minutes.
The CPR administered by her brothers essentially saved her life and staved off most of the damage that would have set in without the lifesaving technique.“As soon as we revived her, we sent her for comprehensive tests to ascertain the cause,” says Dagan from the Cardiology Department at Mount Scopus. “We also put her through a cooling process designed to prevent or minimize brain damage by reducing brain activity and giving it time to heal.”Before she left the hospital, medical staff installed an S-ICD subcutaneous defibrillator. If the device detects a sudden heart issue, it is programmed to emit an electrical shock to the heart to minimize the risk of heart failure.Donia reportedly had no history of heart disease, was a star athlete who played team sport soccer and worked out regularly - making the case all the more peculiar.“Her being an athlete really helped in her recovery,” says Dagan.Donia's father was overjoyed by the performance of the medical staff, forever thankful.“Now, when we see our daughter on her own two feet, we know it’s because of the professional treatment,” says father Ziad. “I thank all the staff and particularly Dr. Gil Dagan who was there for us every inch of the way.”
