Singapore Silent Hero empowers cardiac patients to heal together

Magdalene Chia was one of five everyday individuals honored at the 13th Singapore Silent Heroes Awards, receiving the Heart of Humanity accolade.

Published Sep 19, 2026, 10:09 PM

Updated Sep 19, 2026, 10:09 PM

SINGAPORE - An unsettling artery stent procedure in 2017 changed Magdalene Chia’s life forever. Not only did she have a new lease of life, but she also started on a new mission.

Realising how frightening the ordeal could be, she founded the Caring Hearts Support Group to ensure no other cardiac patient would have to deal with the illness alone.

On Sept 19, the 70-year-old’s service to the community was recognised. She was one of five everyday individuals honored at the 13th Singapore Silent Heroes Awards, receiving the Heart of Humanity accolade.

Organised by the Civilians Association (Singapore), the event at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel was attended by Guest of Honour and Law Minister Edwin Tong.

Chia’s own health battles began in her mid-50s with heart palpitations, breathlessness, and mobility issues. Years later in 2017, doctors at the National University Heart Centre (NUHC) discovered a critical arterial blockage .

“Walking into that treatment procedure, I was terrified because I knew so little about what lay ahead,” Chia told The Straits Times. “The moment the procedure was over, the relief was palpable... I had been granted a second lease on life, and I couldn’t let it go to waste without giving back.

When she completed her treatment, she found NUHC’s existing patient support group on the brink of closure. She started the Caring Hearts Support Group to allow patients to take charge of their chronic conditions. Launched in 2018, Caring Hearts has grown to 150 members, connecting 120 cardiac patients with critical peer support, caregivers and spouses.

Today, the group reaches out to rehabilitation patients at NUHC and can reach out to Chia directly to map out their recovery goals.

“Every patient age group presents its own distinct challenges,” she explained. “However, the patients who often need the most support are working professionals who never imagined they would suffer a heart attack at their age. The event shatters their confidence and self-esteem - to the point where some are even terrified to board a flight.”

The support group typically organises small, casual gatherings to allow patients to share their challenges and coping strategies. The group hosts 20 to 30 activities annually, including monthly walks. They are connected on an active WhatsApp chat group.

“For most of the patients, the physical damage is obvious, but the mental toll runs just as deep,” Chia noted.

She said “something shifts” when these patients sit down and speak with others who have walked this same path and recovered.

“They begin to realise that there is still life even after their cardiac episode. With meaningful lifestyle changes and good self-care, they can overcome these hurdles and return to their families and careers with confidence,” she said.

Another award recipient was Saifuddin Arif Zainal, 28, a youth specialist at Boys’ Town. He received the Inspiring Youth award after dedicating more than a decade to volunteering with seniors.

Saifuddin’s journey began at 17 as a shy Institute of Technical Education (ITE) student looking to build his leadership skills. He signed up for YOLDEN, a Youth Corps Singapore programme engaging residents at the Moral Home for the Aged Sick.

Overcoming initial language barriers through non-verbal cues, basic Mandarin, and dialects, he steadily expanded his involvement. He maintained his commitment through his polytechnic studies and national service, and now continues as a working adult pursuing a part-time social work degree.

In YOLDEN, Saifuddin progressed from a volunteer befriender to a coordinator and executive committee member. He now guides new volunteers and plans programmes. This decade-long journey also helped him bond with his own 90-year-old grandmother.

“Because of the exposure, I have more empathy and a bigger heart for seniors. It has also improved my relationship with my grandmother,” he said. “Understanding seniors is so important, especially in an ageing society like Singapore.”

Heart/Cardiac diseases

玛格达琳·谢是第 13 届新加坡无名英雄奖中五位获得表彰的普通人之一，她获得了“人道主义之心”奖。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 19 日晚上 10:09

更新于2026年9月19日晚上10:09

新加坡——2017年一次令人不安的动脉支架手术彻底改变了Magdalene Chia的人生。她不仅获得了新生，也开启了一段新的旅程。

意识到这种磨难有多么可怕，她创立了“爱心互助小组”，以确保其他心脏病患者不必独自面对这种疾病。

9月19日，这位70岁老人的社区服务得到了认可。她是第13届新加坡无名英雄奖的五位获奖者之一，荣获“人道主义之心”奖。

此次活动由新加坡平民协会主办，在新加坡香格里拉大酒店举行，荣誉嘉宾是律政部长唐振辉。

Chia的健康问题始于50多岁，当时她出现了心悸、呼吸困难和行动不便等症状。几年后的2017年，新加坡国立大学心脏中心（NUHC）的医生发现她有严重的动脉阻塞。

“走进治疗室的时候，我非常害怕，因为我对即将发生的事情一无所知，”谢女士告诉《海峡时报》。“治疗结束后，我如释重负……我获得了第二次生命，我不能让它白白浪费，我必须回馈社会。”

当她完成治疗后，发现NUHC现有的患者互助小组濒临解散。于是，她创办了“爱心互助小组”，旨在帮助患者更好地管理自己的慢性疾病。自2018年成立以来，“爱心互助小组”已发展到150名成员，为120名心脏病患者提供了至关重要的同伴支持、照护者和配偶的帮助。

如今，该组织与新加坡国立大学健康中心的康复患者取得联系，并可直接与 Chia 联系，制定他们的康复目标。

她解释说：“每个年龄段的患者都面临着各自不同的挑战。然而，最需要帮助的患者往往是那些从未想过自己会在这个年纪突发心脏病的职场人士。心脏病会严重打击他们的自信心和自尊心，以至于有些人甚至害怕乘坐飞机。”

互助小组通常会组织小型、非正式的聚会，让患者分享他们遇到的挑战和应对策略。该小组每年举办 20 至 30 项活动，包括每月一次的步行活动。他们通过一个活跃的 WhatsApp 聊天群保持联系。

Chia指出：“对大多数患者来说，身体上的损伤显而易见，但精神上的创伤也同样深刻。”

她说，当这些患者坐下来与经历过同样遭遇并康复的人交谈时，“一些事情就会发生转变”。

“他们开始意识到，即使经历了心脏病发作，生活依然精彩。通过有意义的生活方式改变和良好的自我护理，他们可以克服这些障碍，自信地重返家庭和事业，”她说。

另一位获奖者是28岁的赛义夫丁·阿里夫·扎伊纳尔，他是博伊斯镇的一名青少年专家。他因十多年来一直致力于为老年人提供志愿服务而获得了“鼓舞人心青年奖”。

赛夫丁的这段旅程始于17岁，当时他还是个腼腆的工艺教育学院（ITE）学生，渴望培养自己的领导能力。他报名参加了新加坡青年团的YOLDEN项目，该项目旨在让老年病患之家的居民参与其中。

他克服了最初的语言障碍，通过非语言线索、基础普通话和方言，逐步扩大了参与范围。在理工学院学习和国家服务期间，他始终保持着这份热情，如今作为一名在职人士，他仍在攻读兼职社会工作学位。

在YOLDEN，赛义夫丁从一名志愿者志愿者成长为协调员和执行委员会成员。现在，他负责指导新志愿者并策划项目。这十年的历程也让他与自己90岁的祖母建立了更亲密的联系。

“因为这次经历，我对老年人更有同理心，也更关爱他们了。这还改善了我与祖母的关系，”他说。“了解老年人非常重要，尤其是在像新加坡这样老龄化的社会。”

心脏/心脏疾病