Rav Shmuel Cohen is the senior and founding member of the Hatzola that is based near my father in law's yeshiva, Yeshiva of Staten Island. He sent me this letter about a member of the Kollel that came home this week after 44 weeks going from hospital to hospital to nursing home, intubated, unconscious, hovering between life and death. He is home now, Baruch Hashem. Here is what Reb Shmuel wrote.
I very seldom send these types of emails, I cannot recall ever sending one. Please indulge me. On March 26, 2020. Rabbi Storch called me to his house, he was having trouble breathing. Upon exam, I determined, that although he did not meet the criteria of Low O2 levels, I decided that he needed to go to the hospital. I requested the an ambulance, they came and following procedures, re-evaluated him. The Crew Chief determined that he was not going to transport because he did not reach the standard of transport. I had a bad feeling about the patients overall condition and pulled the crew chief aside and informed him that he would be taking him to the hospital. Needless to say he argued. I politely insisted (easy on the polite heavy on the insist). I may have intimated that as the senior member on scene, I can assume charge of the ambulance and take him myself. He saw the error of his ways. Rabbi Storch’s O2 deteriorated and on Saturday March 28, he was intubated and would remain intubated for over 45 days. Had he been left at home, he almost assuredly would have died. I will say that his very sizable family stormed the gates of heaven. It was touch and go for weeks on end. System failure after system failure...... two hospitals and a rehab later- After 44 weeks, almost to the day, Rabbi Storch came home.
I went to see him and he relayed the following to me:
As people we take and assume much for granted- Walking, talking, breathing, hand and leg movement, using the bathroom, turning a page of a book, holding a phone, holding a cup, eating and drinking, having clear thoughts, speaking, standing up, sitting down, holding a pencil, writing, seeing. The list literally goes on and on. Rabbi Storch beat the odds. He is home and is expected to make a full recovery. He is able to do everything- although he will need to build up strength.
The take away is as follows: Our lives are busy, sometimes too busy. We rush around, sometimes neglecting the ones we love, we sometimes worry about things we have no control over. We take so much for granted, our ability to walk, talk, breath, live, eat, drink- again the list goes on. We fail to show appreciation to those who help us, to those we love, to those we value. We take for granted or physical agility, our abilities. We take for granted our resources and friends. Everything we have can be gone in the blink of an eye.
The purpose of me writing this is simply to remind us of something we already know, but sometimes forget. We are the recipients of tremendous good, kindness and love. Even what we sometimes refer to as hard, brings us benefit. I am asking, please take a few minutes, think of your families, of everything you have- children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, resources, health, the list is endless. We have the strength to lift and drink from a cup, hold a fork, be outside, appreciate colors, etc. There is such an abundance of things we take for granted, stopping every so often to appreciate what we have, would surely enrich our lives. Rabbi Storch beat the odds. When I first saw him at home, he was discussing the numerous things he could not do, but now could. He said, “I was mad at a few people, I forgave them.“ He said Life is too short to hold a grudge, be angry or upset. In my opinion, this lesson is not only worth learning, it is also worth sharing. Finally, showing appreciation to others cannot be understated. When I walked in to say hi, he started with thank you for saving my life, because of you I can.....and he continued- the truth is, I did nothing except make sure he got to the hospital- the credit for the save goes to his family and the teams of medical professionals that treated him, as well as his push and desire to get well.
Please feel free to share if you feel it contains value.
Pictured below is Rabbi Storch’s arrival home 1/20/21 almost 10 months since he left for the hospital.
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