By Sondra Foo, Corporate Communications

What Community Responder Girvan Tay saw on the fateful day of 30 June 2019 was nothing like he ever imagined. 

Singapore Red Cross’ (SRC) Home Monitoring and Eldercare service (HoME+) had detected that there was no movement in a beneficiary’s home for a period of time. After receiving the notification, the call centre then called Girvan to check on the beneficiary.

Girvan and a fellow Community Responder arrived at the main door of the beneficiary’s three-room flat in Toa Payoh at 8.55am.

“When we reached, we realised the main door was locked. Thank goodness for my height, I managed to peek in through the window of the flat. I saw two persons on the floor, motionless. I recognised the siblings, both of whom have cerebral palsy. I had come to their aid previously, and have forged a friendship with them,” Girvan explained.

He quickly called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Upon arrival at 9.06am, the SCDF swiftly broke the door open.

“For a moment, everyone feared the worst. There was silence as the paramedic checked their pulse. Turns out they were alive! We were so relieved!” shared Girvan.

On the siblings’ journey to the hospital, and throughout the consultation and treatment, the male beneficiary held on to Girvan’s hand, and told him repeatedly that he was very frightened.

“Though the siblings were not injured, they were traumatised by the incident. By just being there for them - providing a reassuring hand and a listening ear, we provided comfort to them at the lowest points in their lives,” said Girvan.

A medical student at Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Girvan also volunteers in SRC’s First Aider on Wheels.

The HoME+ beneficiary and his sister were immensely grateful that Girvan and the other Community Responder had helped them when they needed it most.

“Thank you!” they chorused.

As the beneficiary requests anonymity, he is un-named in this story.