 With Help From Above: To The Rescue
By: Jodi Jakob at the Jewish Press
Wednesday, March 7, 2007 Most people find it challenging to make the transition from one routine to another. New schedules, responsibilities, and people can all create anxiety for individuals who find it difficult to adjust to changes. Raising nine children with all of their differing needs and personalities is teaching me more than I could ever imagine about human behavior. I was somewhat worn out from the repercussions of all the changes our family has had to make over the years. But I knew I had to now brace myself for helping one of my children approach a major turning point in her life. This particular child found making changes more challenging than did the others. As her mother, I was determined to help her through the process, so that everything would work as smoothly and painlessly as possible. My daughter was interested in learning to be part of an emergency personnel team. She had excelled in her first aid lessons at camp and had been the one to best tend to the wounds and emergencies that had taken place over time in our own family. Whenever there was in injury, our children would often call on my daughter Miriam to give a hand. Miriam, now 18, had attended a greater number of programs in more places than most young women her age. She would need to enroll in an all- day CPR course given by the local Red Cross and make sure that she felt prepared to commit herself to learning from 8:00 to 5:00 daily for a month afterwards in order to become a certified EMT. But the first priority was to get her registered in the Lakewood Volunteer First Aid Squad so that she could gain the practical experience as well as obtain the funding necessary through the office of the Squad to take the EMT course. For a week, I was on the phone making arrangements and all the pieces were coming together except for one vital component. Every time I phoned the office of the First Aid Squad I reached an answering machine, and even though I left many message, no one had returned my call. I tried to get information from the local police but they were not able to find the right phone number or address of the squad. Without this volunteer experience my daughter would be somewhat unoccupied prior to the start of her EMT classes in March. Now that it was mid- February it was crucial to ensure her calm state of mind that we get this part of the puzzle completed. Monday morning I woke up determined to speak to someone from the squad even if it meant going down to the office (wherever it was) myself. I kept trying to rush my son out of the house Monday morning so that I could quickly take him to the store for his bagel and then to the stop to await his ride to yeshiva. I wanted to have enough time to locate the First Aid Squad office in Lakewood before going to work as I had promised my daughter the night before. After finally leaving the house we arrived at the bagel store. Often I had seen one of the volunteers of the squad in the parking lot (he wears a jacket that reads “Lakewood First Aid”) while waiting for my son to make his purchase. We were later than usual that day, so I didn’t really have much hope in seeing him. When we drove into the parking lot it was empty. I knew it, I thought. If only my son had gotten out of bed the first time, instead of the third time I had to wake him. I should have pressured him more. I had been trying so hard to help my daughter, if only that nice man from the squad would appear and could answer all of my questions. My son went into the shop and I made a phone call. Afterwards I looked up and around to see if by any miraculous chance the volunteer had also decided to come late to get his bagel and then I spotted him getting out of his car. I was so excited I couldn’t figure out how to open the window to stop him and ask our questions. He told me everything I wanted to know and offered to help us in any way that same evening. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my daughter the good news. She would be able to feel as if  HaShem was really on her side, helping her at an important crossroad in her life. With continued “Help from Above” you might just come to Lakewood New Jersey one day and see a young enthusiastic lady jump out of an ambulance to help someone in need. That will be my daughter, born to give, born to climb every hurdle until she achieves success.
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