Young United Hatzalah volunteer loses battle with illness on 10th birthday

Raphael's dream was to one day get healthy and become a full medical emergency volunteer.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: DECEMBER 13, 2015 13:02
Raphael Eliyahu Traub (photo credit: UNITED HATZALAH‏)
Raphael Eliyahu Traub
(photo credit: UNITED HATZALAH‏)
A young volunteer for United Hatzalah passed away Sunday after he lost his battle with a long-term disease, on his 10th birthday.
At his funeral, Raphael Eliyahu Traub's family, friends and Hatzalah volunteers accompanied the boy's body for burial. Only days before, he had requested only one birthday gift: A book of psalms.
"He not only fought bravely against the angel of death; He did so with his own body," the organization wrote in a post on Facebook sadly announcing Raphael's death.
Raphael's funeral procession will take place at 1:00 PM, beginning at the family's home at Rubin 7 in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem and continue to Har Hamenuhot cemetery for burial.
Ever since he was young, Raphael was involved with the organization to some extent. Despite his deteriorating health, he still managed to come to United Hatzalah offices almost every day.
Due to his dedication, the organization gave Raphael his own walkie talkie to stay up-to-date on what volunteers around the country were doing and the boy found a deep sense of belonging at United Hatzalah.
He dreamed of getting healthy and becoming a full Hatzalah volunteer so that he could save lives.
United Hatzalah is an emergency medical first response organization comprised of thousands of volunteers whose singular goal is to arrive at an emergency site in the shortest possible time and provide immediate medical treatment, often arriving before ambulances can get to the scene.
Founded in 2006, the organization now has more than 2,500 emergency medical technicians and paramedics engaged in lifesaving work across the country.