In a gripping tale of courage, 15-year-old Alva Wong became an unexpected hero on March 10 while on her way back to school. Having just enjoyed lunch at Velocity @ Novena Square, she stumbled upon a chaotic scene outside the Cedele bakery.

There, an elderly man lay unconscious on the ground, and a distressed woman was surrounded by onlookers. Despite her initial hesitation, Alva, a Secondary 4 student at Raffles Girls' School and trained Red Cross Youth cadet, felt compelled to act.

"I was scared but knew I had to do something," she recalled. With no one else stepping up, Alva put her first aid training into action, performing CPR on the man. Her quick decisions kept him alive until paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived.

Recalling the moment, Alva said, "I decided it was better that someone try than let him lie there. I was focused; there was no panic in me." After approximately seven to eight minutes, the authorities arrived, and Alva even accompanied the couple to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The weight of the situation hit her hard as she left the hospital, but relief washed over her when she later learned that the man had survived. His grateful wife reached out to the Ministry of Education, expressing her heartfelt thanks and revealing that her husband was in stable condition.

In recognition of her bravery, Alva was honored by the Singapore Red Cross at her school on April 15, coinciding with World Red Cross Day. During the ceremony, Benjamin William, the Secretary-General of the SRC, emphasized that her heroic act should inspire others to contribute positively to society.

"We are immensely proud of Alva for embodying the values we cherish at RGS," declared RGS principal, Ong Hong Peng. Her parents beamed with pride as they watched their daughter being commended for her extraordinary response in a time of crisis.

This isn’t the only story of young heroes; earlier this year, two teenagers also sprang into action to save an 82-year-old man during a cardiac incident. Alva's story reinforces the incredible impact that courage and quick thinking can have in dire situations.