A tribute to Singapore's unsung heroes

SINGAPORE - She has a prominent scar on her scalp, but the 14-year-old girl bravely shaved her long hair off to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

Her courageous act has inspired thousands after news of her bold statement reached STOMP, Singapore's top citizen-journalism website.

The STOMPer who alerted the website to her story said: "I just want to say that this girl inspired me a lot and is very brave. I really salute her for what she has done."

The teenager may well have been a hero to her family and friends, but STOMP's extensive reach and strong following means that thousands more are able to read her story and learn from her selfless act.

This is just one of the many inspiring stories sent by STOMPers of touching acts they have encountered in their everyday life.

STOMP welcomes these positive contributions and features them in the Get Inspired section of the website, where all things good go viral.

Citizen journalists have the power to shed light on such heartwarming acts of kindness in Singapore that may otherwise go unnoticed.

With your camera phone, simply snap a candid shot of a moment that has touched you, and send your report to STOMP.

Take a recent incident which happened about two weeks ago.

STOMPer Jasmani saw three students from Republic Polytechnic helping an elderly man pick up his cardboard boxes that had fallen to the ground at a traffic junction.

Touched, the STOMPer snapped a photo of the incident and sent it to STOMP via e-mail.

In another incident which took place on the streets of Singapore, STOMPer Mabel witnessed two drivers who rushed to the aid of a biker who had fallen on the road.

According to the STOMPer, the motorcycle had skidded and the biker was lying in between two lanes, near a traffic light.

Just as the STOMPer was about to help, she saw two other drivers hurrying out of their vehicles to lend a helping hand.

STOMPer Mabel took a snapshot of the incident and sent it to STOMP. She said: "I'm so happy to see that there are still so many helpful souls around."

Another STOMPer, Jeremy, was inspired by the honesty of a staff member at The Cathay.

In an e-mail message to STOMP, he said he was purchasing two tickets for the movie Saving General Yang when he accidentally overpaid by $10.

Instead of pocketing the difference, the ticketing cashier, Ms Siti Oskanira, looked for him halfway through the movie to return the change.

Sometimes, acts of kindness do get rewarded.

A selfless army recruit, now an officer cadet trainee, who earned plaudits after going out of his way to help a handicapped man, received recognition for his act from then senior minister of state for defence (now Second Defence Minister) Chan Chun Sing.

STOMPer Janaine first saw the army serviceman helping the man settle down at a spot inside Compass Point, before going to get him a drink from a convenience store.

He was later identified as Mr Dickson Phoon, a recruit then undergoing Basic Military Training in Pulau Tekong.

He received a pair of tickets to attend this year's National Day Parade for his "good citizenry" from the commander of Officer Cadet School, Colonel Seet Uei Lim.

These are Singapore's unsung heroes, and it's high time they are cheered on and celebrated.

Drop the STOMP Team an e-mail message at stomp@stomp. com.sg or read all the inspirational stories at www.stomp.com.sg

cwcsarah@sph.com.sg

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