Deepali Jhaveri becomes first Indian woman to win Life Saver Act Award in Japan
TOKYO: Deepali Jhaveri, a member of the Indian diaspora settled in Japan, has become the first Indian woman to win the Life Saver Act Award in Japan, after saving the life of a man who had collapsed during a Dandiya Masti event in Tokyo in October last year. Jhaveri, who is CPR and AED license holder, quickly administered three shocks with an AED defibrillator, and when it failed, she continued with CPR until she could detect a heartbeat and the man regained consciousness.
The paramedics and police who arrived at the scene confirmed that it was due to Jhaveri’s swift action that the man had survived. After a month-long investigation, the Cardiopulmonary Surgeons, Police, and the fire department concluded that Jhaveri had saved his life. On December 3, 2022, she was officially awarded the Life Saver Act Award by Koto ward officials, with gratitude.
“The incident happened during a Dandiya Masti event on Saturday organized by the Ojima Indians Committee members. One of the organizers suddenly fainted on the ground and rendered motionless. With no pulse, he had wet his pants and rolled up his eyes, and there was no sign of life in him. Being CPR and AED license holder – a certified trained responder, I got into action. I had one round of futile attempts. As there were no vital signs. I gave him three shocks using an AED defibrillator; then the AED failed with no other recourse,” recalls Jhaveri.
She goes on to narrate the whole incident further, “ I started CPR again (Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation). I could soon detect a heart beats, and slowly he regained consciousness. By God’s Grace, I could resuscitate him. Soon paramedics and police arrived at the spot and took over. The Paramedical team and police announced that it was due to my CPR and AED aid. In time this man survived. They bowed down at the spot to me as a token of respect. The Cardiopulmonary Surgeons, Police, and the fire department investigated for a month and concluded that I had saved his life.”
On December 3, 2022, she was officially awarded The Life Saver Act Award with gratitude by the Koto ward officials. “Deepa Jhaveri san saved a life by offering CPR and AED support. For this act, she was felicitated by the Tokyo Fire Department for the humanitarian rescue award of the first Indian Woman in the Koto-Ku ward.”
The city officials expressed their gratitude by facilitating an award ceremony and rescue salute to me. The Chief Officer of the Tokyo Fire Department led the award ceremony and addressed those assembled. They have uploaded photos of the event on their webpage all over Tokyo from December 15th onwards for 6 months.
Jhaveri’s heroic act has been widely recognized in Japan, with NHK, the country’s most respected media, covering her story with a full interview on its radio channel.
Professionally, Jhaveri is an experienced and certified K-12 School Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching in diverse K-12 classroom settings. She has been teaching Mathematics and other subjects efficiently, considering the curriculum and Upper elementary, Middle school and high school students needs for over a decade in Japan.
As a proud Gujarati and Indian citizen, Jhaveri is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to strengthen ties between India and Japan. She says, “Every time PM Modi visits Japan, he brings immense pride amongst the diasporas. I am immensely happy that as one humble citizen, I could contribute to the mission of our PM in bringing India and Japan closer in my own tiny way.”
Deepali’s act of bravery is a testament to the growing bond between the people of India and Japan, which is set to strengthen in the coming year as the two countries’ leaders meet thrice in the capacity of respective heads of G20 and G7.
The bond was forged by the “bromance” between Modi and the late PM Abe, which has helped shape a multipolar world with their focus on the Free and Open Indo-Pacific. PM Kishida has vowed to take the India-Japan relationship to a new level, and her selfless act backed by Indian ethos in Japan is a heartwarming example of the strong bond between the two nations.