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Dr. Amos Fruman, a senior pediatric surgery specialist at the Hadassah Medical Organization, recently experienced a dramatic and emotional moment when he helped deliver the baby of a woman who went into active labor at a gas station on a highway.
The veteran physician, former head of pediatric surgery at Hadassah hospitals, stopped for a quick refueling and ended up changing the course of a young couple’s trip to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. “If someone had asked me that morning what my evening would look like, this certainly would not have been the scenario I imagined,” Dr. Fruman said with a smile.
The evening began routinely. After a family gathering at Dr. Fruman’s home in Maccabim, he decided to drive an elderly relative back to her home. The drive proceeded normally. While on the highway, he began debating whether to stop for fuel. “I went back and forth about it,” he recalled. “I thought maybe I could keep going a little longer and refuel later.” Eventually, after the relative insisted that he stop, he pulled into a gas station. What seemed like a small decision would later prove to be the turning point of the evening.
Shortly after arriving at the station, Dr. Fruman’s attention was drawn to an unusual scene unfolding. Inside was a couple from Jerusalem who had been returning from a visit to Modiin and were on their way to Hadassah Ein Kerem. The woman was in an advanced stage of pregnancy and experiencing contractions.
At first, the couple believed they would make it to the hospital on their own. This was their second child, and they did not think an ambulance was needed. They set out by car, expecting to arrive in time.
As the journey progressed, however, it became clear that the labor was advancing much faster than anticipated.
“While they were on the road, she told her husband that the baby’s head was already halfway out, so he pulled into the gas station,” Dr. Fruman explained. “The moment I saw what was happening, it was obvious there was no time to wait,” he recalled. “I understood that we were probably not going to make it to a delivery room.”
Within seconds, Dr. Fruman shifted from passerby to person in charge. He approached the vehicle, assessed the circumstances and began giving instructions. “The most important thing in a situation like this is to remain calm,” he said. “The moment the people around you start to panic, everything becomes much more difficult.”
The gas station instantly became an improvised delivery suite. Dr. Fruman turned to the station employees and asked them to bring clean towels, turning bystanders into helpers. “They immediately stepped in to help,” he said. “Everyone wanted to assist.”
He then guided the mother on how to position herself and which postures might help facilitate the delivery as time rapidly ran out, keeping the situation focused and orderly. “I could see that the labor was progressing very quickly,” he said. “It was clear that the baby had no intention of waiting.” And so, with Dr. Fruman by her side in the middle of a highway gas station, the baby was born. “Within minutes, he was already out,” Dr. Fruman said.
Despite decades in medicine, Dr. Fruman described the experience as truly unique — not only because of the unusual circumstances but also because delivering babies has never been part of his routine professional practice. “I hadn’t done this since medical school,” he said with a laugh. “Quite a few years have passed since then. Suddenly, you find yourself returning to something you learned decades ago.”
Dr. Fruman has dedicated his life to pediatric medicine. Over the years, he has treated thousands of children and families, managed highly complex medical situations and taken part in countless surgeries and procedures. Delivering a baby at a gas station is not part of any physician’s everyday routine. For that very reason, the event highlighted the value of accumulated medical experience, showing how it can matter in the most unexpected moments. “In medicine, you learn that when something unexpected happens, the most important thing is to stay focused,” he said.
Following the delivery, additional medical teams were dispatched to the scene. The mother and newborn were examined and found to be in good condition before continuing on to Hadassah Ein Kerem, as originally planned for further care and observation.
For the young family, it was an unforgettable birth experience.
For Dr. Fruman, it was an extraordinary moment that brought together personal and professional chapters of his life. “What amazes me most is how accidental it all was,” he said. “I still think about how many coincidences had to happen for all of us to be in exactly the same place at exactly the same time.”
