Lim Khai Loei Joshua (20A05)

It had seemed like any other fateful day, except that it was anything but ordinary. Lim Khai Loei Joshua and his teammates were resting on a side bench, having just completed their basketball training session. Out of the blue, Joshua’s teammate suddenly collapsed onto the floor where his lanky body lay unmoving and unresponsive. A flurry of events soon followed. “I remembered seeing my friend being attended to by the teacher-in-charge and the basketball coach immediately. I had thought it was simply heat exhaustion. Little did I realise it was something much more serious – _my friend was not breathing; there was neither a pulse nor any vital signs.”_ As the teacher called for an ambulance immediately and took the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) kit, Joshua sprang into action quickly, taking turns with his coach and teacher to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

With the guidance of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel over the phone, Joshua assisted his teacher and coach to administer the AED shocks and perform CPR till the paramedics arrived. Alas, the attempts were futile. Joshua could only look on helplessly as the ambulance whisked his friend away to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where his friend was found to have had suffered from cardiac arrest due to a hitherto unknown heart condition. “I was very worried for him,” Joshua said, recalling the painful events. “I was distraught. I felt that I could not save my friend. Could I have done something else to help him instead? Will he be able to pull through?” These thoughts ran through his mind the entire night as he neither ate nor slept.

As he was still reeling in shock, Joshua was advised to stay home the next day to recover from what had happened. However, as the Class Manager, he felt a sense of responsibility to be present for his classmates who would soon receive news of the incident. “I thought I should be there for my classmates, it was my duty and responsibility as the class manager to support them,” Joshua said. His Civics Tutor, Mdm Shalwa, remembered, “Joshua was instrumental in providing support and rallying his classmates together to write notes of hope to the boy and his family.” Such was Joshua’s thoughtfulness, always putting himself in the shoes of others; thinking of ways to make them feel better.

Joshua’s demonstration of altruism and his care for others did not stop at just his friends and loved ones. In the weeks after the incident, wanting to support his schoolmates and help others, Joshua volunteered to be an Orientation Group Leader (OGL). “A leader can make a lot of difference. When I first entered college, I saw first-hand how my own OGLs had made everyone feel at home and I wanted to do the same for my juniors.”

Joshua’s resilience was once again called to the test as his stint as an OGL came at a very difficult time. Not only was his friend still in hospital, his aunt, whom he was close to suddenly passed away. “I was very much affected at that time by her passing, But I thought about it and figured that I should not shortchange my juniors just because I was feeling sad.” With a maturity that belies his age, Joshua put on a brave front and soldiered on by leading the juniors in exciting activities, helping them adjust to college life. “I learnt that I may face a lot of unexpected situations, but as a leader and a role model, I need to adapt quickly.” Joshua reflected.

Despite the challenges that he faced, Joshua continued to pursue his love for the Chinese language. As a student in the college’s Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP), Joshua actively participated in enrichment activities organised by both the Ministry of Education (MOE) and JPJC. Keen to deepen his love for the Chinese language, Joshua participated in the CLEP Lecture Series organised by both MOE and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2021, where he served as the group leader and presented on ‘The Spirit of Youth in Contemporary Chinese Films’.

He was recognised for his strong leadership and was later selected to lead the MOE CLEP Camp. Due to the pandemic, the camp format had shifted to be held online instead. Unfazed by the constraints, Joshua was adamant and worked towards bonding the various members who hailed from various schools. He also contributed to his peers’ learning as he led them to think of meaningful projects that amalgamated the different components of the Chinese culture. The final project that the group came up with was something he was very proud of. “We had to do a music video, but despite being in different locations, we were able to put together a video which included Chinese calligraphy, poetry and even traditional Chinese instruments.” His group eventually clinched three of the five awards for the CLEP camp. “I really have to thank my teachers for guiding me. My love for the subject grew because of the way CLEP was taught in my school. My teachers, Dr Sng and Mrs Tan-Lim, were able to make the subject so alive.”

Joshua did not forget about his friend in hospital, despite his rigorous schedule, and often got updates from his friend’s parents about his progress. Miraculously, after weeks in the hospital, Joshua’s friend regained consciousness from his induced coma. One of the first things his friend did was to send a text message to Joshua and his classmates to tell them he was okay. A concerned and dedicated friend, Joshua visited him often in hospital and met him via video calls almost every day to check on his condition and recovery. “As there were many tubes attached to him, he was actually not able to talk much. Nonetheless I wanted to call every day so he would feel included rather than alone.” As his friend recovered, Joshua also felt more comforted. The doctors had commended him on his calm demeanor and quick actions as they had been critical in saving his friend’s life. Even after his friend was discharged for home recovery, Joshua continued with frequent visits. He not only provided moral support but also updated him on what went on in school, personally delivering learning materials to help him catch up.

When the boy eventually made a full recovery and opted to return to college to pick up from where he left off, Joshua was once again there – ever dependable; ever selfless. Even when there was much catching up to do, Joshua was ever present. “Joshua would always accompany his friend to the weekly catch-up sessions. When asked why he was present when he could have enjoyed his break, he would simply shrug his shoulders and smiled assuredly at his friend,” recalled their General Paper tutor, Ms Tan Su Lynn. He was, literally and figuratively, always by his friend’s side every step of the way.

Joshua is indeed an exemplary student leader who sincerely cares about others. His Civics Tutor, Mdm Shalwa, shared, “Although he was so busy, he never forgot about those around him who needed his help. He made time for them, he truly has a big heart.”

Upon graduation, Joshua intends to pursue Multilingual Studies, Social Sciences or Community Development in University. He also hopes to seize more opportunities to help others and is currently interning in a school for students with special needs.