Medal of Bravery

• Awarded on: October 31, 1997
• Invested on: May 15, 1998

Severely wounded by a gunshot blast to the shoulder, 13-year-old Michelle Mooney helped her six- year-old sister escape a house that had been broken into by a violent man on April 29, 1996, in Cluculz Lake, British Columbia. Awakened by screams shortly before midnight, Michelle rushed downstairs to find that her mother's estranged common-law husband had smashed through the patio door with a shotgun and killed her mother's friend. Hiding in the adjoining room, Michelle fumbled in the dark to locate the telephone but was unsuccessful. She then tried to flee for help but the aggressor discovered her near the front door and shot her. Despite her serious injury, she dragged herself to the bathroom where her sister was hiding and helped her escape through a window. As Michelle followed the little girl out, the man set the house ablaze and committed suicide.