A recent incident in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, showed the courage and sense of duty of a young teen, and the importance of teaching our children the basics of first aid.
When 17-year-old Ava Donegan set out for a shopping trip she stopped at an intersection and witnessed a police officer being shot. Instead of panicking when officer Andrew Stott approached her for help after receiving two bullets in the arm and hand, Donegan quickly assisted.
According to Fox News, the high schooler, whose father is a critical care nurse, shared: "When the officer said, 'Can you help me with my tourniquet?' I was like, 'Absolutely, I can help you with your tourniquet.'''
Donegan explained that her dad had actually taught the whole family how to apply an effective tourniquet, pointing out: "It was really useful to have that knowledge from my dad."
It's impressive that Donegan kept her calm after the police officer had been shot by a suspect who had a warrant out for his arrest. The police department shared on their Facebook page how courageous Donegan had been, especially as "she did not know whether more bullets would fly, but she could see he needed help."
She not only saw to Officer Stott's wound, she also enabled him to radio for help, and get him out of his vest, all carried out while another police offer shot and fatally wounded the suspect.
"Ava and her friend had come to Excelsior Springs that day to go shopping. She had no obligation to help a law enforcement officer in a life-or-death situation, but she did. Ava also assisted the Sheriff’s Office in our investigation of the incident, providing information about what she witnessed," the sheriff's office pointed out.
Understandably Donegan received a number of awards from the police department, and a local car dealership provided her with a $2,000 scholarship that was presented by Mayor Sharon Powell.
After receiving a number of accolades, the teen remained humble, saying: "I still think anyone would have done it. But I’m very grateful to be here."
Thankfully, Officer Stott is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing a number of surgeries.
