An 11-year-old Virginia Girl Scout saved her father’s life by performing CPR just days after learning the technique during a troop training session.
Clint Carawan, Vada Carawan’s father, suffered a sudden heart attack at his Virginia Beach home on Saturday morning in late October, according to WAVY-TV.
Vada had learned CPR at a Girl Scout meeting 11 days earlier, noting that she was the only one in her troop to successfully save the dummy, which prompted her to take immediate action to assist her father.
The 11-year-old admitted to feeling overwhelmed at first, but she called 911 and followed the dispatcher’s instructions, including performing chest compressions on her father.
“Of course, it was scary,” Vada told the outlet. “And I started tearing up and I was like, ‘What do I do?’ Like, for a minute there? I was in complete shock. And then I was like, ‘Heart attack … heart attack, 911.”
Paramedics arrived in time to save Clint, eventually reviving him and stabilizing his condition. They subsequently took him to the hospital, where he continues to heal.
Amanda Carawan, Vada’s mother, expressed her satisfaction in Vada for saving the man who has always been her idol.
“She got to be his hero,” Amanda told WAVY-TV. “I was like, he’s her hero everyday, but you know, she got to be his hero this time.”
Meanwhile, the family has organized a fundraiser to aid Clint’s medical needs.