St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre awarded a 9-year-old LaPlace girl with the Sheriff’s Office 2025 Humanitarian Award for her courage and composure in getting help for her mother who experienced a medical emergency while driving on Interstate 10.
The Humanitarian Award is presented to a citizen for a heroic action that occurred in St. John Parish that made a significant impact to the community or on a member of this community.
Sheriff Tregre presented the award to Amaya Britton during the Sheriff’s Office annual Officer of the Year ceremony held Jan. 15, 2026 at the Lloyd B. Johnson Training Center in LaPlace. Amaya , who was accompanied by her mother, Ashley Britton, received a standing ovation when the award was announced.
Just over a year ago, on Jan. 17, 2025, Amaya was traveling home with her mother, who is an Army veteran, and her two younger siblings—ages 5 and 2—when her mother began to feel lightheaded. Amaya’s mother pulled her vehicle to the shoulder on Interstate 10 and handed her daughter a cell phone before losing consciousness in the driver seat of her vehicle.
Amaya was able to call 911 and relay to the Communication Specialist that her mother was either having trouble breathing or having a heart attack. She remained calm and was able to clearly give Acadian Ambulance detailed information about her mother’s condition while the Communication Specialist at the St. John Sheriff’s Office used GPS technology to send officers and medical personnel to their location.
“Because of the heroic actions of this 9-year-old young lady, her mother was able to receive the life saving care she needed,” Sheriff Tregre said. “Fortunately this young child understood how to make an emergency call and dialed 911 to get help.”