25-year-old Gavy Friedson has been volunteering for United Hatzalah for the last seven years. Hailing from Boca Raton, Florida, Gavy moved to Israel in 1999. Currently studying at Tel Aviv University for his masters degree in Emergency and Disaster Management, Gavy still finds the time to volunteer as a first responder for United Hatzalah.

Over the years Gavy has responded to over 7,500 emergencies, averaging 160 calls a month, including arriving first on the scene of several terrorist attacks and delivering nine babies.

Upon his move to Israel, Gavy, at age 10, already knew he wanted to volunteer as an EMT, an emergency medical technician. Speaking with Breaking Israel News, Gavy explained why he wanted to volunteer specifically with United Hatzalah.

“Whenever I would get to the scene, I’d see guys on ambucylces, motorcycles equipped with medical supplies, and I always wanted to be a part of the people that rode the bikes and got there first,” he said.

After completing several rigorous courses to become a certified EMT, at the young age of 15 Gavy began volunteering for United Hatzalah.

For Gavy,  part of the appeal of volunteering as a first responder was being able to connect with the people of Israel. Coming from the United States, Gavy wanted to integrate into society and give back to it.

“The best way to connect with Israeli society is being able to deal with Christians, Jews and Arabs – people from every sector,” he explained.  At United Haztalah, there is no discrimination as to who they treat or who volunteers.  “When responding to a call, you don’t stop and say there’s an Arab I won’t go and respond. There’s no such thing here at United Hatzalah.”

In one week alone, Gavy managed to perform CPR on a Jew, Arab and Christian, all three ending successfully.

Through his experience, Gavy has been able to meet and treat all different kinds of people from all walks of life. Some of his patients have been Holocaust survivors. “People open up and tell you stories that they wouldn’t even tell family members,” Gavy stated. In one memorable incident, Gavy got an emergency call in the middle of the night for a baby who had stopped breathing. After performing CPR, the baby was saved. According to Gavy, “the feeling of saving a life is indescribable.”

When asked about the challenges of being a volunteer and knowing that someone’s life may be literally in his hands, Gavy explained how it becomes your whole life. “It’s constant, around the clock. I used to respond to four-to-five calls a day.” He says the days that are successful are the days that make you want to continue to go forward.  “Once you start volunteering you don’t stop. It becomes a part of you. You get addicted to the feeling of saving a life.”

In Gavy’s own words, saving a life “opens up your eyes to how beautiful the world can be.”