'Superwoman' raises six children, but still does MDA shift amid COVID-19

'Superwoman' Asmahan Abu-Yeheya, a resident of Israel's Bedouin sector in Gan Yavne, has volunteered for Magen David Adom (MDA) for the past 16 years, all the while raising six children and working two jobs. Amid the coronavirus, Abu Yeheya has continued to volunteer for MDA. Beyond her role at MDA, Abu-Yeheya is a certified preschool teacher, while also working as a medical secretary at an orthopedic clinic and a volunteer operations officer for the Gan Yavne Rescue Unit. A single mother to six children, with the youngest being 10-years-old, Abu-Yeheya has continued to fulfill her duty to helping people. 'I get support from the kids,' Abu-Yeheya said. 'If I'm in a bad mood, they tell me to go to a MDA shift because they know it will do me good. Doing and giving gives me a lot of satisfaction, and I feel at any given moment that I am part of the warm and supportive MDA family,' Abu-Yeheya added. Abu-Yeheya remarked on the importance of helping others, saying that 'When I treat an older woman, I treat her like she is my grandmother. Every time I think about the person in the ambulance when he is in pain and scared, and sometimes I am the only person they have, my job is first and foremost to give him the best medical care, but I believe it is very important that I be both humane and caring.' Amid the coronavirus impacting the country, Abu-Yeheya underwent training to obtain samples from people possibly infected with the virus. 'I took a lot of samples, but it was important not to be indifferent to any of the patients,' Abu-Yeheya said. 'I remember going to sample a tourist who was in isolation at a hotel in Ashdod, and I was told he had a birthday. I sang 'happy birthday' to him and he was very excited. When I arrived dressed in protective suit for homes that had children, I told them that I was not a monster, and tried to do everything I could to calm them.' 'The activity around the coronavirus crisis was vast and sometimes not easy, but I knew I was part of something big and volunteer at an organization that you need adapt to the situation in the country, with the help of people like me and other volunteers,' Abu-Yeheya added Regarding her role in treating patients and operating the testing site, Abu-Yeheya said that 'I happened to arrive as a team member for a patient or injured person, and they asked me where the person in charge is,' adding 'but I'm quick to make it clear that I'm in charge. I'm sure of what I'm doing, and as soon as the people around me realize I'm coming to help, the attitude always changes. They thank me and appreciate what I did.'

'Superwoman' raises six children, but still does MDA shift amid COVID-19

Beyond her role at MDA, Abu-Yeheya is a certified preschool teacher, while also working as a medical secretary at an orthopedic clinic and a volunteer operations officer for the Gan Yavne.

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'Superwoman' raises six children, but still does MDA shift amid COVID-19

Beyond her role at MDA, Abu-Yeheya is a certified preschool teacher, while also working as a medical secretary at an orthopedic clinic and a volunteer operations officer for the Gan Yavne.

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