Cedar Girls' School students Gracias Prasetyo (left) and Elina Chua (right) received the Singapore Red Cross Lifeguard Award this year, while Serangoon Secondary School student Richelle Lim (center) received the President's Youth Award. (Photo by Tan Bin Chin)

In February of this year, 13-year-old Elina Chua, a student at Cedar Girls' High School, received a sudden cardiac arrest alert from the myResponder app while studying in her dormitory. She immediately contacted her 16-year-old schoolmate, Gracias Prasetyo, and together they rushed to the scene to assist an unconscious 82-year-old man.

When they arrived, they found the man lying motionless in bed and his family is at a loss for what to do. Gracias Prasetyo immediately performed CPR, while Elina Chua hurried downstairs to retrieve an automated external defibrillator. Two other volunteers later arrived to assist with the emergency response.

Elina Chua had only obtained her standard first aid certificate seven days before the incident, but she remained undaunted by the emergency. Their bravery, swiftness, and calmness earned them the Singapore Red Cross Lifesaver Award this year.

Elina Chua and Gracias Prasetyo received their awards from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, patron of the Red Cross, on Wednesday (September 3). This year, the Red Cross recognised over 300 individuals and organizations for their contributions to humanitarian work.

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Elina Chua said her greatest takeaway from her time at the Red Cross was understanding the principle of "service before self" and experiencing firsthand the impact her actions have on others. "In those critical moments, everything we learned in training really came into play. Everyone should learn CPR because you never know when something unexpected might happen to someone close to you."

Learning first aid is not just a formality

Richelle Lim said she initially joined the Red Cross Youth in her school simply to learn first aid, but later realised it was more than just an extracurricular activity; it was about passion and service. She also made many friends there. "Every life is precious, and we should seize every opportunity to save others. Learning first aid can't just be a formality; it must be done with heart and the right attitude."

In his speech at the SRC Awards Ceremoney, Tan Kai Hoe, Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross, praised the contributions of the winners and called on all sectors of society to work together with love and action to build a more resilient and beautiful future.

He said, "As a humanitarian organisation, our primary purpose is to save lives, uphold dignity, and build resilient communities. To advance our mission, we will continue to attract passionate individuals, build capacity, and foster collaboration across generations, sectors, and communities to expand our social impact."

Caylene Mak (16), a student at Shiren Secondary School and one of the recipients of the President's Youth Award, said in an interview that she had no clear direction when choosing extracurricular activities but chose the Red Cross Youth at the encouragement of her mother.

Caylene Mak has now stepped down from her leadership role to focus on preparing for her O-level examinations. She said that through participating in various activities, she has made many like-minded friends and gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of serving the community.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.