Adriyanna Gutierrez Receives Girl Scouts Medal of Honor
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSofSI) is proud to announce that Adriyanna Gutierrez of Lenzburg, Illinois has been awarded the Girl Scout Medal of Honor – a lifesaving award she received for demonstrating heroism in saving another’s life.
October 14, 2022 was supposed to be a typical day. After school, Adriyanna came home to help care for her little brother while her mother was at work. She took him into a bedroom so he could sit on the bed and watch a television program. Noticing the adjacent room appeared foggy, Adriyanna went back into the bedroom to check on her brother. The bedroom had become foggy as well, and Adriyanna knew she needed to determine the cause. She first opened windows and doors to air out the space. As she explored the cause, she discovered smoke behind the bed and noticed a light. At that moment, Adriyanna realized she was battling a fire and sprung into action.
Adriyanna called her cousin into the room to help her get her brother to safety. Once her brother was safe, the girls extinguished the fire. Adriyanna then called her uncle, who had left the home just prior to the fire starting, to come and assist them. To further demonstrate the Girl Scout Law, Adriyanna worked with her cousin and uncle to clean up the mess that had been caused by extinguishing the fire – being considerate and caring so her mother would have one less stressor when she got off work later that night. “Adriy’s quick thinking not only saved her brother, but saved the house which houses a total of twelve people currently,” said her mother, Alyssa Hanson.
Girl Scouts of the USA has honored Adriyanna’s heroic efforts with Girl Scouts’ Medal of Honor. Girl Scouts have been honored since 1913 for deeds that help save lives. Girl Scouts are trained in health and safety, as well as to have presence of mind and be of service to others. Lifesaving Awards, however, are reserved for those Girl Scouts who have performed acts of heroism beyond the degree of maturity and training expected for their age.
Adriyanna, a Girl Scout Cadette, demonstrated her courage and confidence with her heroic act and remained calm throughout the entire incident. “I was very scared and nervous thinking someone was going to get hurt, but thankfully no one did. We then went on with the rest of our day,” said Adriyanna.
April 27, 2023
