Kentucky Girl Awarded Girl Scout Medal Of Honor For Saving Father’s Life

An 11-year-old Girl Scout from Bardstown, Kentucky, was recently bestowed with one of the organization’s highest honors after saving her father’s life. 

On the morning of November 8, 2023, fifth-grader Ellie Huntt was getting ready for school when she noticed that her dad David was speaking unusually and saying words that didn’t make sense. At first she thought he was joking, but when he couldn't say her name correctly, Ellie knew something was wrong.

“My dad didn't want me to worry my mom and he told me not to call, but I got the phone and called her anyway to let her know that something was wrong,” she recalled in a statement. “She talked with us [on a video call] until dad dropped me off at school and then she met my dad and took him to the emergency room.”

At the hospital, neurologists determined that he had suffered a stroke. The doctors said that, if not for Ellie’s fast thinking to recognize the problem, the outcome would have been much worse.

The brave tween received the Girl Scout Medal of Honor in a ceremony earlier this month. According to Girl Scouts of the USA, this rare award is given to girls who save a life or attempt to save a life without risk to the girl’s own life. This award is reserved for Girl Scouts who have performed heroic acts “beyond the degree of maturity and training to be expected at their age.”

“Through Ellie’s willingness to take decisive action in the midst of an emergency, she not only attempted to save a life, but also served as an example for all Girl Scouts,” Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana CEO, Maggie Elder said. “I commend her for her quick thinking and heroism on that Wednesday morning in November.”

Well done, Ellie!