From left -- Ruhi Jame, Gracie Larrick, Melissa Herr and Taylor Anderson, all students from Fox Mill Elementary School, pictured in their Junior Girl Scout Vests, in September 2014 when they received the medals. The girls are from Service Unit 51-7. Photo contributed
One year ago, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014, during their lunch hour at Fox Mill Elementary School in Herndon, four fourth grade Junior Girl Scouts jumped to the aid of their classmate as she found herself choking on a piece of food. Using the skills that they had just learned a few months prior, in a First Aid class they attended with other Junior Troop’s members from Fox Mill, the four girl scouts (ages 9 and 10) immediately jumped into action.
The girl who was choking was sitting at the same table as, at the time, fourth graders Taylor Anderson, Ruhi Jame, Melissa Herr and Gracie Larrick, all from Junior Troop 4102. Ruhi recognized the signs immediately that her friend was choking. She saw that her friend was turning red, not breathing, and holding her throat with her hands indicating that she was choking. Ruhi immediately jumped up and began patting her friend on the back. Then Melissa yelled aloud that their friend was choking. Taylor then jumped to assist Ruhi in helping their friend, told their friend to try and drink, but the liquid would not go down. Immediately, Taylor called to Melissa and Gracie to get an adult for help. Both Gracie and Melissa jumped into action and ran to get the adults in the cafeteria to come to their friends’ aid. Ruhi and Taylor did not leave their friend’s side. All four girls remained completely calm, did not panic, and took immediate action until an adult could arrive to help. Taylor was about to perform the Heimlich Maneuver which she learned to do in a situation such as this one, but an adult was there in no time to help the young girl get the food dislodged from her throat.
After the young girl was taken to the clinic, the adults came to talk with the girls in the cafeteria to find out exactly what happened. All four girls were well-versed in explaining exactly what they witnessed and the action they took to help their friend. Without their help, their friend could have been in serious danger. As other young children in the cafeteria looked on in complete shock, silence and some panicking desperately, these four brave young girls knew exactly what to do, how to do it, and did it well. The concern they had for their friend, following all of this, was touching. All four girls asked another adult to go in to the Health Center (where they were not allowed to go) to find out how she was doing.
This is the story of four very brave young girl scouts who jumped to the aid of a friend in distress and used what they learned as girl scouts to apply themselves in a situation that is very scary for anyone, adult or child.
For their remarkable action and bravery, the four girl scouts received the prestigious Girl Scouts Medal of Honor, bestowed on to them by the Girl Scouts of the United States (GSUSA).
--Tina Anderson