Woman Declared Dead in 2009 Crash Delivers Third Child, Delivered by Her Sister
In a remarkable turn of events, Shachar Davidov, who was declared dead at 17 following a severe car accident in 2009, recently gave birth to her third child. The delivery took place at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva, with her older sister, Zohar, serving as the midwife.
The accident occurred when Shachar's then-boyfriend crashed their car into a tree. A doctor at the scene pronounced her dead, but paramedic Muawiya Kabeh, who was rerouted to the scene, performed CPR for 40 minutes until her pulse returned. Shachar was then transported to Beilinson, requiring further resuscitation en route. Her sister Zohar arrived at the accident scene and witnessed her younger sister being taken away by ambulance.
Shachar recounted the ordeal, stating, "The paramedic was on his way to another call, and the doctor who declared me dead asked to treat the second injured person, who was lightly injured, but he chose to fight for me." Her father, Yitzhak (Ika) Kugelmas, recalled the family's distress upon hearing news of the accident, especially when radio reports mistakenly announced a fatality.
After two weeks in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator, Shachar awoke and began a long rehabilitation process. She successfully completed her high school matriculation exams and even enlisted in the army. Seventeen years after the accident, Shachar, who had been pronounced dead at the roadside, has built a family and had two children before this latest birth.
Her sister Zohar, inspired by the events, pursued a career in nursing and then specialized in midwifery, eventually working at the very hospital where Shachar was treated. Shachar revealed that she intentionally waited until Zohar completed her midwifery course before becoming pregnant with her third child, aiming for her sister to deliver the baby. "Everything was planned so that Zohar would deliver me," Shachar said, describing the recent birth as a "corrective experience" and a much easier delivery than her previous ones.
