A resident of Jerusalem who is fully paralyzed pulled off his dream marriage proposal last week with the assistance of United Hatzalah volunteers.
Alon Paz became a quadriplegic who requires a ventilator to breathe following a traumatic car accident several years ago. However, Paz did not let his disabilities stop him from proposing to his long-time girlfriend Yaffit in the square of the historic Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter.
“The whole thing was really terrific," Yaffit said. "I want to thank everyone who was involved in this, and who participated and brought us joy. Thank you so much.”
Since his accident, Paz has had close ties with United Hatzalah, Israel's volunteer emergency medicine organization. When he decided he wanted to marry Yaffit, he approached the organization with a creative idea.
How did Alon Paz propose to Yaffit?
The day began with Paz and the team of volunteers, including paramedics and EMTs, visiting his mother's grave. From there, they went to two holy sites: Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Beit Lehem. Meanwhile, teams from the logistics and operations departments of United Hatzalah worked to set up the square in the Old City in order to fulfill Paz's perfect proposal, which drew in a crowd of curious passersby.
The intensive care ambulance pulled up at the nearby parking lot in the old city and Paz was transported to the square in the ambulance bed. The team transferred Paz's bed and the ventilator from the ambulance, with Yaffit standing next to him as he popped the question.
After Yaffit said "yes," the gathering crowd offered well wishes and danced in celebration.
Paz said: "If a person wants something, they have to fight for it. The Creator of the World will hear and the Creator of the world won’t say no… I love life and I want to continue my life. I want to establish a home, a Jewish home, a warm home, a kosher home, a home according to the Torah of Moshe and Yisrael.”