Stories From the Streets: A Marriage’s First Test

On a recent Monday afternoon a bride, Nour Abu Asiya, and her groom, Mohamed Byadsi, were driving back from taking pre-wedding photos outside their hometown of Jatt, an Arab-Israeli town in the triangle region of Israel, when they spotted a motor vehicle accident that had involved a young boy on his bicycle and a truck. Even though they were dressed in their wedding attire, the couple, both of whom are United Hatzalah volunteer first responders, didn’t hesitate to stop and provide emergency medical treatment to the injured 9-year-old. 

“The boy was riding his bicycle when he suddenly swerved and hit the truck. He sustained some serious lacerations and contusions,” says Byadsi. “I didn’t think twice as I pulled the car over. Nour and I both got out in our wedding attire and rushed over to assist the young boy while we called United Hatzalah’s dispatch and command center and requested additional volunteers and an ambulance.

“Our wedding activities would be put on hold for a while, as this boy needed our help.”

Asiya, who in addition to being a first responder for United Hatzalah is also a nurse at Tel HaShomer Hospital, bandaged the boy’s hands while her husband-to-be checked the boy’s vital signs and took an oral history.

“The boy was crying, and we tried to comfort him while we bandaged up his wounds,” says Asiya. “He was scared, and so we asked the dispatcher to try to get in touch with his parents while we treated him.”

When the boy’s parents arrived at the scene, they declined an ambulance transport and instead took the boy to a nearby hospital on their own. They thanked the almost-newlyweds for their help in treating their son.

Once the boy was treated and his parents had taken him to the hospital for further care, Asiya and Byadsi got back into their car and headed to the wedding hall for the ceremony.

“Wherever I go and whatever I am doing, I feel a sense of responsibility to help others because I have the training and ability to do so,” adds Byadsi. “Wearing my wedding suit, in the middle of my wedding day, that is when God decided to test me and see if I would still live up to my responsibility of helping others. Of course I decided to stop the car and help. What else can a volunteer EMT do? What better way to celebrate than by helping others? Nour and I didn’t think twice; we jumped at the opportunity to help. I am thankful we passed this first test of our marriage together and we helped another person while doing so.”

Raphael Poch is the international media spokesperson for United Hatzalah.