On the morning of Tuesday, March 1, at 7:15 a.m., William Kurutz’s mother, Gina suffered a grand-mal seizure in the shower of their home. William heard her fall through the shower curtain in the bathroom and let himself in. With her seizing, unresponsive and face down on the tile bathroom floor, William tried in vain to flip his mother who was stiff and jerking between the floor and the lip of the bathtub. After trying to revive his mother, William went outside to see if his father was nearby, as he was out walking the family dog. Fortunately, his father was within sight and William came ran up to him. Crying, but not panicking, William told his father that “mom fell” in the shower.
William’s father ran into the bathroom and told William to “call 911.” William immediately went to the bedroom and calmly did as his father instructed. This freed his father up to begin resuscitation. William conveyed the information to the 911 operator and returned to his father. Upset, but calm, William helped get blankets to position his mother. In addition, he comforted her as she came around, while his father met the paramedics on the street.
William’s mother Gina has had epilepsy since the age of 14, and although William has heard about seizures and his mother’s overall condition, he had never witnessed it firsthand. William’s parents helped teach him to memorize their address at a young age and also taught him to what to do in an emergency situation such as “Mommy falling down.” His mother’s seizures have been under control by medication for a very long time and she never thought that William would be in the position he found himself in the morning of the incident. William’s mother is beyond grateful that he and his father were home at the time of the incident and is very proud of William’s calm demeanor, which in turn made her less anxious.
At the Monrovia City Council meeting on April 19, Monrovia Fire & Rescue commends William’s courage, quick action and calm demeanor in the face of trauma. His actions led to a rapid resolution of his mom’s life threatening situation. William is commended for stepping up for his life saving actions and being a family hero. William was awarded a certificate of commendation from Chief Brad Donovan from Monrovia Fire & Rescue, for his heroic actions that led to his mom receiving the medical treatment that saved her life. Chief Donovan and the MFD gave William a Fire hat and t-shirt and Chief Donovan stated that “this commendation is a future job application to the Monrovia Fire & Rescue Department”. Following this commendation, the Monrovia City Council, Pro-tem Mayor Larry Spicer presented William with a special commendation from the City of Monrovia for his actions. When the presentations were over the Monrovia FD gave a special tour for William and his fellow Cub Scouts of the fire station.
The Greater Los Angeles Area Council on April 25th presented Cub Scout Bear William with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Certificate of Meritorious Action Life Saving Award by Michael A Balingit Sr., Eagle Advisor and Advancement Chairman. National awards for lifesaving and meritorious action are made only for outstanding and unusual acts that demonstrate unusual heroism, skill, or bravery and reflect Scouting ideals. BSA “heroism” is defined as conduct exhibiting courage, daring, skill, and self-sacrifice and “skill” is defined as the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively in execution or performance. Special attention is given to skills earned in Scouting.
The certificate of Merit is awarded to a Scout who has performed an act of service of a rare or exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others. The BSA scrutinizes each application and these certificates are rare to receive. In 2011, the BSA awarded 13 Honor Medals with Crossed Palms, 31 Honor Medals, and 121 Heroism Awards.
As William’s Cubmaster I could not be more proud of him. His actions will be remembered for years to come and this is what Scouting is about, service to others and doing a good turn daily. William, Monrovia Cub Scout Pack 66 is grateful to you and proud of what you have done for your family. If you are interested to learn more about Monrovia Cub Scout Pack 66 we are located at Vineyard Church of Monrovia with Pastor Aaron Schmidt, 1307 S. Myrtle Ave. We meet the first and fourth Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. Please call Cubmaster Peters at (626) 485-1032.
– Article by Cubmaster Mark Peters, Pack 66
