Cape Girardeau Boy Scout receives Heroism Award - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Cape Girardeau Boy Scout receives Heroism Award

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By Crystal Britt - bio | email

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

Alex Huggins, 15, was honored Wednesday night in St. Louis with one of the highest awards presented by the Boy Scouts of America.

It's all thanks to his quick thinking as a passenger in his mother's van on Interstate 55 near Cape Girardeau.

On October 20, 2010 Paula Huggins and her son Alex were heading home.

"The interstate was down to two lanes," said Paula Huggins. She says there was road construction in the area at that time.

Alex, who was 14 at the time, immediately noticed his mother losing control.

"We started knocking down pylons," said Paula Huggins. 

"I felt it swerve and my mom took her hands off the steering wheel," said Alex Huggins. 

Paula is diabetic, and her blood sugar dropped to a dangerous level.

"It came out of the blue," said Paula Huggins.

Alex said he grabbed the steering wheel and told his mother to take her foot off the brake.

"When we came to a stop I turned off the car and took the keys out of the ignition," said Alex. "She tried to take the keys again. I know by the was she was talking she was still having an episode."

Safely stopped along the interstate, Alex says he went for his mom's purse.

"I knew she had to have something in there...a candy bar or something and low and behold I found the best thing for it, her glucose tablets," said Alex. 

He gave her two tablets then called for help.

"He did what needed to be done to prevent me from getting on the interstate," said Paula Huggins. 

Alex credits his scout training for preparing him for that moment. Coincidently, that summer he earned his disabilities awareness merit badge. He learned about diabetes, and how to respond in a case like this.

"I could have easily hurt Alex and myself, or I could have killed someone," said Paula Huggins. 

For his actions, Alex is being honored with the heroism medal.

"I just did what any boy in my position would have done," said Alex.

"I'm very proud of him," said Paula.

According to the Boy Scouts of America, of the more than 2.7 million boy scouts less than 150 received the heroism award last year. Only 3,000 have been presented that award since 1923.

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