An 11-year-old Girl Scout from Virginia Beach saved her father’s life using CPR skills she learned at her Scout meeting just 11 days before the emergency.
God places people in the right place at the right time, preparing them for moments they don’t see coming. This truth shines through the story of Vada Carawan, whose Girl Scout training turned into a divine appointment that saved her father’s life.
On a November day, Clinton Carawan started feeling severe chest pain at home. “He kept saying that his chest hurt. He told me it was heart attack symptoms,” Vada remembered. Within moments, Clinton fell to the ground and struggled to breathe.
Vada called 911 right away and started chest compressions on her father. Even their family dog, Maggie, tried to help by pawing at Clinton to wake him up. While fear gripped her heart, Vada focused on saving her father’s life.
“I didn’t really think about it. I was just like, I need to save my dad’s life. That’s the main focus right now. Chest compressions. I need to do it once the EMT comes, then I can break down in tears,” Vada said.
Vada kept doing CPR for five to seven minutes as the 911 dispatcher counted the beats with her.
Dr. Deepak Talreja, who leads cardiology at Sentara Health, explained that Clinton had sudden cardiac death. “It’s a sudden event. It happens with no warning whatsoever, and a person just collapses to the ground with no heartbeat and no pulse, they’re clinically dead,” he said.
God’s timing showed through Vada’s recent CPR training. At her Girl Scout meeting less than two weeks before, she stood out during the practice.
“I was actually the only person in my whole class to successfully save our dummy because when you do CPR, the dummy has lights, and if it’s green, you’re doing it correctly,” Vada shared.
Emergency teams took Clinton first to Sentara Virginia Beach General and then to Sentara’s Heart Hospital in Norfolk. Dr. Talreja stressed how important Vada’s quick action was: “CPR kept blood flow going to his brain, so his brain could receive oxygen until his heart could be restarted again. Unquestionably, she saved his life that night.”
This wake up call led Clinton to make big changes in his life. He stopped smoking, which he thinks caused his heart attack. “Pretty easy after waking up from your deathbed,” he said.
“I don’t have any urge for it, and if I do, I just think about laying in that bed.” He also changed his eating habits, choosing chicken and vegetables over red meat and staying away from fast food.
The story touched hearts across the nation, leading to Vada appearing on the “Tamron Hall Show.” Her mother, Amanda Carawan, beamed with pride saying, “She got to be his hero.”
God uses people of all ages to do amazing things. Even when we know important skills, fear can freeze us in critical moments. But God gave Vada the strength to remember her CPR training and the courage to help her father when every second counted.
This divine intervention not only saved Clinton’s life but transformed him into a healthier person who values life more.
Vada’s words inspire us: “You can do anything that you put your mind to, no matter how old you are. Some kids are saying that they can’t do stuff because they’re too little or not strong enough to do it. But I don’t believe that whatsoever.”
WATCH: Young Girl Saves Dad with CPR She Learned Just 11 Day Before
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