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Anna Cristo received the Medal of Honor Lifesaving Award
WARREN
Anna Cristo and her mother, Michelle, say they often reflect on May 17, 2015, the day Anna, then 15, saved her mother’s life.
They were eating dinner at Sunrise Inn in Warren when Anna noticed her mother’s eyes were wide and she was not responsive.
Realizing what was happening, Anna, using knowledge she had learned eight years earlier during a Girl Scouts meeting, performed the Heimlich maneuver on her mother, dislodging the piece of lettuce on which she was choking.
“I just could not breathe. I was very scared. Our waitress called the manager, but Anna did it, and it was done,” Michelle said.
“I am very grateful for her calmness and quick thinking. If she would have gotten upset, she might not have been so efficient. She just got up and did it. She literally saved my life,” Michelle said.
For her decisive, quick action, Anna, now 16, recently received the Medal of Honor Lifesaving Award, a national Girl Scouts award presented to a Scout who saves a life, or attempts to save a life, without risk to her own life.
Anna, of Warren, received the award at the Heimlich Heroes event April 16 at Vienna United Methodist Church.
“This award means that I can affect people’s lives in a positive way,” said Anna. “I think everyone should know how to do the Heimlich [maneuver]. You never know when it could save someone.”
Anna is a member of Girl Scout Troop 80154, which is based in Vienna and led by Julie Strama, who nominated Anna for the award.
“Members of Troop 80154 attend Mathews and Joseph Badger schools or are homeschooled,” said Anna.
Anna, daughter of Marty and Michelle Cristo, is homeschooled through Landry Academy, an online school, and is in the 10th grade. She is the granddaughter of John and Marlene Mrofchak of Warren and Martin and Helen Cristo, who are deceased.
At the Heimlich Heroes event, Troop 80154 taught Girl Scouts of all ages how to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
“I want to give back to the other girls in my service unit. I want them to know no matter what their age, they can save a life,” said Anna.
“I couldn’t love her any more for saving my life, but also I’m so proud of her for doing the Heimlich Heroes program. She just wanted to spread the knowledge about how easy it is to choke and that anybody can be a Heimlich Hero,” her mom said.
Anna found the Heimlich Heroes program online and was able to get the training materials, dolls and badges. Some 69 girls signed up for the training program at the church, her mother said.
Anna, who holds the rank of Senior Girl Scout, said her favorite scouting activities are the community aspects and building relationships.
She is involved in Warren Area Catholic Teens. During her freshman and sophomore years at Warren G. Harding High School, she was a member of the school’s tennis team. She is a volunteer at Bella Women’s Center in Warren and a member of the leadership team for Landry Academy. She was one of the founders of Landry’s Student Leadership Council and this year was elected a council representative.
Anna said she takes piano lessons and has taken karate lessons, and enjoys American Sign Language, reading and playing with young children.
Anna, who learned the Heimlich maneuver at a Scout meeting, is also trained in infant, child and adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), though not through the Girl Scouts.
“I never expected to actually have to use the Heimlich [maneuver], but I am happy I learned it because it saved my mom’s life,” said Anna.