The mother of stabbing victim Madison Schemitz and the Good Samaritan who risked his life to stop her attacker have been awarded prestigious Carnegie Medals for bravery.
The honor is “awarded to civilians who risk death or serious physical injury to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others,” according to the foundation’s website.
Schemitz, a former softball star at Ponte Vedra High School, was brutally attacked by her ex-boyfriend Spencer Pearson outside Mr. Chubby’s Wings last year.
Schemitz’s mother, Jaclyn Roge, tried pulling Pearson off of her daughter and was stabbed in the forehead, hand and leg.
Bystander Kennedy Armstrong had just pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot when he heard screams. He sprinted 160-feet before knocking Pearson off of Schemitz.
The assailant attempted to get up, and Armstrong jumped on top of him and pinned his hands down.
Armstrong suffered several stab wounds, including a cut to his right hand that severed an artery.
Schemitz was stabbed 17 times and was partially paralyzed after the incident. She has since recovered to the point where she walked across her graduation stage to receive her diploma in June.
“Without my mom and Kennedy, I would not be alive today, and for that I am eternally grateful in every way,” she said. “The love I have for them both is insurmountable and am so proud and excited to watch them receive this award.”
Pearson, who tried to kill himself after the attack, is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
