Today was our day for independence. We spent a lot of time discussing what we should do (ok, maybe arguing a bit) but we had a basic plan, which was to start with a hike recommended by our host, then head to Gamla and after a few other minor stops return to Yavne’el in time to visit with friends of ours from Montreal who had made Aliyah (moved to Israel) a year or so before and actually lived in Yavne’el.
The hike, known as the Majrasa, was actually not far from Nahal Yahudia, where we had hike the day before. This too was a water hike. We were all set to get wet, but alas we took a little too long to get to the start of the hike and soon the park was filled with a school trip. Like Nahal Kibbutzim a few days earlier, this hike took us down a stream. There was far less swimming, and mom was wary of the fact that the floor was completely rocks. Large rocks, little rocks, rocking rocks...you get my point. There was also a lot more shade, which was good but also made the water and air cooler so there were points where you were actually cold. We had some issues with the school group ahead of us stopping and having water fights that made it impossible for anyone to pass, but eventually their teachers caught on that there were several families (not just us) waiting to pass. All in all, the family enjoyed the hike.
After finishing we headed north toward a place I saw on the map called Katzrin. Here archeologists had unearthed a village from the times of the Talmud and it had been turned into a recreation village tourist spot. I really wanted to go there, David wasn’t so sure, so we decided to have a picnic lunch (pita and hummus, you know) and decided. It also happened that they had a lovely picnic area just outside the gate of the Talmudic village with lots of tables and a roofed area to provide shade.
However, not far from the picnic area and adjacent to the visitors center was an aluminum door or ramp that sat full our in the hot afternoon sun. And this is where our day went very, very wrong. As we were eating and shmoozing and debating going in, Asher ran about like an almost two year old does, and like all toddlers, he tripped and fell...right onto the metal door. Ten seconds on the door equalled 2nd degree burns.
I honestly don’t know who cried out and got my attention but in a flash David and I were hurrying him into the visitors center noticing first one hand blistering and peeling, and the arm, and the other hand and the knee! And the other knee. From my perspective, there were two may limbs to run under water. The man in the visitors center sent us into town (about two blocks) to a clinic. The kids were AMAZING helping my mom grab all thee stuff we had pulled from car for the picnic and staying out from underfoot but close enough to move swiftly. We got there only to discover that it was the wrong type of clinic, and, anyway, they were closing, but just over there (points to adjoining parking lot) is Magen David Adom (like Red Cross Ambulance Service). The Magen David Adom office was a tiny caravan, and we were reliant on my Hebrew (the best of the bunch) to communicate. Basically, though, they didn’t have the supplies to deal with the burns. We needed to go to a hospital, either in Tzevat or Tiberias (both towns needing us to go over long winding roads). While Tiberias was closer to where we were staying, Tzefat was closer to where we were. We piled into the van and hurried as fast as we could over narrow two land streets switchbacking up and down the area. There were two cars driving I front of us for what felt like forever and there was no room to pass.
Finally we made it to Tzefat and Ziv Hospital, which has a separate pediatric emergency room that just so happened to have been almost completely empty. Hurray!
The staff at Ziv Hospital could not have been nicer. Unfortunately, they had to give him pain medicine and wait for it to go into effect before they could examine him. In fact, they had to dope out poor sweet baby up and he was pretty funny once those drugs kicked in. He also let the doctors and nurses examine all his burns. Initially they were concerned that part of it was actually third degree and they actually wanted to keep him overnight so that a plastic surgeon could look at him in the morning. In all honesty, my immediate attempts to dissuade them were purely selfish. I hated the idea of the trip being so disrupted for the kids! Eventually, however, they did decide that all the burns were second degree (although that one area would require a little more attention) and we could leave if we arranged to see a pediatrician the next day and perhaps a plastic surgeon on Friday. They shmeared him with Silversol, wrapped him like a mummy and sent us on our way after assurances that we would see a doctor to change the bandages the next day.
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| Elisheva was tremendously helpful in the emergency room. |
I want to take a moment here to shout out. DAVID WAS AMAZING! Not only did he keep his calm as we drove down and up crazy roads getting to Tzefat, but he also dealt with all of the administrative details at the hospital and got on the phone with our travellers insurance. (On that note, however, I should point out that that very morning he had delayed our departure by double checking that our travellers insurance was in order. Stop counting chickens ....!!!!) In the upcoming days, he would also prove himself to be a master bandage changer.
I would also like to express my unending thanks to my mother for taking care of the most thankless part of this process, which was keeping the other kids from “dying of boredom” in the sparse waiting area.
Tired and a bit overwhelmed, we headed back to Yavne’el, grabbed a pizza and sat down to try to picture what the next day would bring, where we should go to get Asher’s burns looked at, as well as whether we should stay with the conventional medicine or visit one of the famous burn ladies in Israel and who are said to work miracles. Because of our unstable situation (changing locations), we ended up sticking to conventional. We were sad to have missed seeing Miriam and her family, but we were definitely ready for bed.
With Asher you are. Truly earning your mommy stripes. So glad he is ok and super kudos to the whole Hewitt clan who knows how to pull it together! ♡♡♡♡
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