In the late 1950’s, my grandmother, Hanka, who was then the only nurse providing urgent care to nearly 5,000 Israeli and Arab villagers in the Western Galilee, was called in the middle of the night to see a ten year old boy named Gabi. Gabi was one of the strongest and most athletic boys in the kibbutz.His mom called and reported that he was not feeling well. In general, when kids didn’t feel well, it was because they had a cold, a strep throat, or diarrhea. After spending only two minutes with him, my grandmother’s amazing instincts made her recognize that Gabi was much sicker than the usual causes and that although he did not seem in distraught, his life was indeed in danger.She immediately began to searched his entire body. His mom yelled to her and asked what she was doing. My grandmother was looking for two tiny holes and a swollen area surrounding them.She found the spot on the back of his leg. The holes and swollen area were evidence that Gabi was bitten by a viper, the most poisonous snake in the kibbutz and its surrounding vicinity. Had her instincts not kicked in, Gabi could have lost his leg or worse, his life. Before getting him in to the hospital, she was able to block any further blood from circulating around his body, from his leg to his heart and his brain. She organized Gabi's evacuation to a hospital, an uncommon thing in an area that had only dirt roads connecting between the kibbutz and the nearest town. My Grandmother's diagnosis saved his life and Gabi grew up to be a health young man.