Being heavily pregnant in her third trimester nor being in her post-pregnancy confinement did not stop Claudia Tan Yanhua, a nurse from the National University Hospital (NUH), from responding to the call of duty.
On two separate occasions, the 31-year-old nurse went above and beyond to render assistance to two cardiac arrest cases even though she was off duty. It was said to be part of being a community first responder, which Tan had signed up for.
Tan’s display of selflessness was highlighted in a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Facebook post on Thursday (23 Jul).
Heavily Pregnant During First Incident
According to SCDF, Tan was getting ready for work in September 2019 when she was alerted of a cardiac arrest case in a condominium unit just two floors below her home, through the myResponder app on her phone.
Despite being heavily pregnant in her third trimester, Tan “dashed over to render aid” to her neighbour.
The cardiac arrest case was a 60-year-old man, whom Tan saw “lying motionless on the floor” when she arrived at the unit. She immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him after assessing that he had no pulse and was no longer breathing.
“SCDF resources arrived shortly after and rendered further medical assistance before conveying him to a hospital. Thankfully, the man survived,” SCDF wrote.
Second Incident Saw Cardiac Arrest Case in Same Unit
Three months later in December, Tan received a myResponder alert of another cardiac arrest case while at home during her post-pregnancy confinement.
“Incredibly, it was for a cardiac arrest case in the exact same unit two floors below,” wrote SCDF, who did not state how the two victims were related.
The second cardiac arrest case involved a 60-year-old woman, according to The New Paper (TNP). Tan again, rushed off to the unit “without hesitation”.
“When the alert sounded, my instincts took over… What overrode everything was the urgency I felt to reach the person in need as quickly as I could,” the mother of two said in an interview with TNP.
The elderly woman was reportedly lying motionless when Tan arrived. She neither had a pulse nor was breathing, leading Tan to perform CPR on her immediately. Tan also assisted with administering intravenous lines on the patient after the paramedics arrived.
“Unfortunately, the patient did not survive,” SCDF wrote.
Both the 60-year-old man and 60-year-old woman were brought from the Lake Life condominium at Tao Ching Road in Jurong West to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital following the medical emergency. The elderly woman, however, passed away in the same hospital.
Praised for “quick-thinking and selfless acts”
“For her quick-thinking and selfless acts, (Tan) received SCDF’s Community Lifesaver Award (CLA) and Community First Responder Award (CFRA),” SCDF said.
On why Tan decided to sign up as a community first responder, she said to TNP: “I thought I could put my skills as an emergency nurse to good use.”
A Facebook user commented on the selfless act that Tan displayed while pregnant. Image source: Facebook screengrab
The mother of two, however, said that she did not think that coming forward to render assistance while pregnant was “remarkable”. To her, it was “simply an extension of her job as a nurse”.
She hopes that the sharing of her experience could “encourage more people to learn essential lifesaving skills and to sign up on the myResponder app.”
Image source: Facebook/SCDF
Many netizens have flocked to SCDF’s post to congratulate Tan on receiving the awards and recognition. She also received many praises for her public-spirited mindset.
Image source: Facebook screengrab
The mum is also seen as an inspiration for fellow nurses and even a good role model for the younger generation.
Image source: Facebook screengrab
Image source: Facebook screengrab
You can view SCDF’s full post here:
Lead image source from Facebook/SCDF and Bright Sparks.
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