Sheri Whiteman always knew there was a lot of good to be done in the world, but she never figured on finding her role on the door of an ambulance that had carried her husband across the Israeli desert.

Whiteman saw an inscription that said the ambulance had been donated and knew she, too, had to buy one for the humanitarian group caring for her husband, who was having a heart attack.

As soon as they returned home to Norcross from Israel that summer, they sent out letters to friends and family members detailing their ordeal. To show their appreciation for the care Dr. David Whiteman received, they wanted to purchase an ambulance for the Magen David Adom organization, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross.

Thus began a yearlong campaign to raise the $75,000 needed to buy a state-of-the-art ambulance.

The organization provides emergency medical care and humanitarian assistance for the entire nation, regardless of nationality, race or religion.

Although mandated by the Israeli Parliament, the organization receives no money from the government, said Sybil Weingast, assistant executive vice president for development for American Friends of Magen David Adom, based in New York City.

Ambulances are vitally needed, she said, to respond to the medical needs of the entire country but particularly to the areas of Israel bordering the Gaza Strip, such as Sderot, a frequent target of rocket attacks.

"At one time we dispatched 40 ambulances in one day to that particular area," Weingast said.

Donations make the group's service possible, she said.

"That's why we're very grateful to the Whitemans and to their friends for making this ambulance possible," she said. "It will save countless lives in Israel."

David Whiteman, a plastic surgeon from Norcross, is sure a donated ambulance saved his life.

It happened in June 2006, when the Whitemans, their two children and two other families traveled to Israel for a two-week vacation.

Sheri and David were settling down for the night when David began struggling to catch his breath.

Maybe he was allergic to the dust or the camels they'd taken across the Negev Desert, he thought to himself.

Minutes later, a crushing pain hit his chest.

"I need to get to a hospital," he said.

It took 25 minutes to drive across the desert to the small town of Arad and the nearest ambulance stand, where they were met by paramedics.