Faiz Al-Qalaani, a 34-year-old first-aid provider from Majdal Shams, chose to volunteer with Magen David Adom (MDA) for a powerful reason. On October 8, 2023, just after the Iron Swords War began, he collapsed from cardiac arrest in a local clinic. An MDA team, including paramedic Fuad Abd Aloui and EMTs Essam Masoud and Hussein Sha'ar, used a defibrillator to save his life.
During his recovery, Faiz felt inspired to give back. As security tensions rose, he was motivated to acquire life-saving skills and began a first aid course at the MDA station in January, which he completed successfully.
Faiz’s volunteer work included responding to a missile strike at a soccer field, which tragically killed 12 children. He rushed to assist the injured, including some he knew personally.
Now, a year after the incident that changed his life, Faiz serves as a first aid provider with MDA in Majdal Shams and the wider region. He expresses deep gratitude to the team that saved him and is currently training to become an emergency medical technician and ambulance driver.
