Contributed by RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO –
The following is a letter from our contributor in response to the recent incident of an elderly man who soiled himself while grocery shopping, and a good Samaritan who helped to clean him up and accompany him home. We applaud Mr Fernando for spreading awareness of Ms Noriza’s kindness.
I am deeply moved by the compassion and kindness Ms Noriza A. Mansoor showed to the elderly citizen who had soiled himself in a public area (Others turned up noses, but she cleaned up elderly man covered in faeces, Good samaritan helps to clean faeces off elderly man in Toa Payoh).
Although facing challenges in life herself such as going through a divorce and having to care for five children, Ms Noriza has not allowed her circumstances to pull her down; instead she rose to the occasion and willingly stepped forward to clean up Mr Tan Soy Yong while many others would have turned away in disdain.
But I am glad that her unselfish and compassionate act had spurred others like the currency trader, Mr Goh Rong Ren, to pay for the cab ride for her to take Mr Tan home to his Potong Pasir flat and for the Member of Parliament for the area to offer support as well.
With many of our elderly folks living in isolation, there is a dire need for volunteers to come forward to help this group. I am pretty sure that by now her magnanimous gesture has gone viral, and it can help build the community spirit that can eventually bring all our citizens closer together.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has introduced many new reward schemes to attract citizens to take up nursing, and given the virtues and compassion that Ms Noriza possesses, I have every confidence that she would make a good nurse – in nursing homes or in hospitals. So perhaps she may want to consider a career switch which MOH should welcome with open arms.
By Raymond Anthony Fernando
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