Nurse who saved stranger's life at wedding identified

Nurse Siti Nur Fatin helped save a life the very first time she performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on someone in public.

On May 10, Miss Fatin, 22, was at the wedding of her mother's colleague at Woodlands Community Club, when she noticed that Mr Nur Muhammad Sapini had fallen onto the floor.

His wife, Madam Maimunah Borhan, was holding his head in her lap and shouting for help.

Miss Fatin, who has been working at Singapore General Hospital for four years, immediately identified herself as a certified nurse and offered assistance.

"She asked me to please help her husband because she did not know what to do," Miss Fatin told The New Paper (TNP).

At first, she thought Mr Muhammad had choked on some food and she performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on him with the help of another passer-by.

"I even used my bare hands to check for any food stuck in his throat, but it was empty," she said.

Mr Muhammad, a 57-year-old engineer, was still conscious, but his eyes were twitching, his breathing laboured and his pulse was weak, Miss Fatin said.

When she tried to get a response from him, Mr Muhammad's eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious. She was then unable to detect his pulse.

Realising that he was in grave danger, Miss Fatin performed CPR on him.

"After a few attempts, Mr Muhammad's pulse returned, said Miss Fatin, who admitted that she felt "panic" initially.

RELIEF

Said Madam Maimunah, 55, a property agent: "My focus was entirely on my husband's condition and she was the only person next to him, trying her very best to revive him. I was so relieved when she said that his heartbeat was back."

Miss Fatin also directed the crowd to give Mr Muhammad breathing space and to call for an ambulance.

When the paramedics arrived they took over.

On performing CPR, she said: "I was afraid I would have pressed too hard and hurt Mr Muhammad. It is very different performing CPR on an actual human being compared to a dummy."

Everything happened in such a blur that she failed to get Madam Maimunah's or her family's contact details before they left.

TNP reported last week that Madam Maimunah also received help from three other people that day, including Mr and Mrs Loke Chee Onn and Madam Kym Tan.

This was not the first time Miss Fatin has stepped forward to help someone in public.

She helped a middle-aged woman whose car had crashed into the void deck of an HDB block.

She checked the woman's vital signs and also checked her for injuries before the ambulance arrived.

Fortunately, the woman was not badly injured. Mr Muhammad is now recuperating at home.

Miss Fatin said: "As a nurse, it is my duty to save Mr Muhammad's life with my best. I just think it is important to go the extra mile for someone when they really need it."

HUGS AND TEARS AT REUNION

When they finally met each other again, Miss Siti Nur Fatin and Madam Maimunah Borhan shared a hug and shed tears of joy.

"This is her!" exclaimed Madam Maimunah. "This is the girl who saved my husband!"

They were reunited at Madam Maimunah's office in East Coast Road last Friday.

Miss Fatin recalled her attempts to find Madam Maimunah after the incident on May 10.

"I called several hospitals, but found nothing," she said.

"I even called the family who hosted the wedding, but because it was an open event, it was hard to track down the names."

PASSED NUMBER

When she saw The New Paper report on May 20, which asked for information of the nurse, she contacted Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and asked to have her number passed to Madam Maimunah.

Miss Fatin's first words when Madam Maimunah called her were: "Are you sure it was really me?"

She said things happened so fast that day, she was not sure if she was the one Madam Maimunah was looking for.

But Madam Maimunah told The New Paper: "I asked her about her outfit at the wedding and then I knew."

Both women were glad they were able to meet again .

"I am so grateful for Miss Fatin's help that day and now I can finally thank her properly," said Madam Maimunah.

Miss Fatin said: "I can finally lay down my worries after hearing from Madam Maimunah and knowing that Mr Muhammad is recovering."

This article was first published on May 25, 2015.
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