She was a ‘guardian angel’: Reunions with teacher and former helper stir emotions online

A teacher’s kindness helped shape Dino Isaac’s life, while a former helper who raised Leticia Peh ended up sacrificing more than the girl imagined. Their reunions, featured in On The Red Dot, have struck a chord with viewers.

Dino Isaac reunites with his former teacher, Teresa Lee, in her current school, Princess Elizabeth Primary.

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: As a young boy living in a children’s home, Dino Isaac used to wish his Primary 3 teacher, Teresa Lee, could adopt him.

Two decades later, their emotional reunion revealed that those feelings went both ways. To his surprise, Lee, now 44, told him she had “similar thoughts”. But she was not married at the time, so she “kept the thought” to herself.

Dino, whose childhood was marked by abuse and homelessness, was placed in a children’s home at age five.

Lee was his form teacher for just half a year, but she was at Jin Tai Primary with him for another two years before transferring to another school. She nurtured his musical talent and made him feel seen and valued.

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Dino telling Lee his childhood wish was to have been adopted by her.

“Ms Lee was literally a guardian angel sent from the sky,” he said. “She looked out for me in a parental way.”

Now 30, he enlisted the help of On The Red Dot to track her down to her current school to show her how far he has come and tell her his decision to pursue social work, inspired by her kindness.

Their story is part of the show’s Finding series, which returns to reunite Singaporeans with the unsung mentors, friends and figures who shaped their lives.

The episode has prompted an outpouring of responses online, having racked up more than two million views and over 2,000 comments on YouTube.

Many viewers said the reunion moved them to tears. Others reflected on the influence teachers can have on their students and remembered educators who had changed their own lives.

THE TEACHERS WE NEVER FORGET

Lee’s care for Dino went beyond the classroom. She looked after him when he had a high fever, bought him food when he did not have enough pocket money and selected him for the school choir after hearing him sing.

Their bond grew stronger through choir practices and performances, and when events ended late, she would bring him back to the children’s home.

She encouraged him despite his grades, writing in his school report that he was musically and artistically talented and could become a good leader. “She saw the potential in me,” he recollected.

Lee and Dino in their class photo at Jin Tai Primary School.

Watching their reunion stirred a desire among some viewers to reconnect with teachers who had impacted their lives. Instagram user @kei.hirano88 recalled two teachers who helped pay for tuition when the user’s family could not afford it.

“Because of them, I’m now very successful. This story reminds me that I need to find my teachers who helped me in the past,” the user wrote.

For YouTube user @punsohtang, the episode was bittersweet. After graduating from polytechnic, the user had hoped to thank a primary school teacher for her tender loving care, only to learn that she had died.

“I never had a chance to thank her,” the user wrote, adding that watching Dino’s reunion offered “a little bit of closure”.

Some netizens remembered a teacher’s encouragement long after they left school. Retiree @DennisYoungblood-r6b said his own “Ms Lee” had instilled “a sense of courage and confidence” that has stayed with him over the years.

“Even in those quiet moments of ‘imposter syndrome’ emotions, I think back to her and the encouragement she provided,” he wrote.

For Youtube user @dannykuang9433, who said he had taught in after-school programmes, the episode highlighted the lasting difference teachers can make.

“Great teachers are one in a million, and the hearts and minds they touch, inspire and help nudge into the world are countless,” he wrote. “I wish every student in this world gets their own version of Miss Lee.”

THE SACRIFICES BEHIND A LIFETIME OF CARE

Teachers were not the only figures of care featured in the series. Leticia Peh, 23, was hoping to find her former domestic helper , Muslichah Abdullah, or “Auntie Mas”, who cared for her and her three siblings for about 12 years.

Auntie Mas was there for them during some of their most difficult moments. When Peh struggled in primary school with undiagnosed hearing loss, Auntie Mas would notice when she came home upset, make food for her and comfort her.

The helper was equally protective of the family’s youngest child, Lenette, who was born with Down syndrome. Peh recalled Auntie Mas telling their father once: “Sir, if you don’t want her, I’m going to bring her home.”

After 11 years apart, Peh travelled to Kudus, Indonesia, to surprise her. A stunned Auntie Mas exclaimed: “I feel like (it’s a) dream.”

But the visit also showed Peh what life was like for Auntie Mas, 56, after her two decades working in Singapore.

She lives alone in a rented room. Her sons live elsewhere in Indonesia, and her grandchildren are not close to her because she had been away for so long, she said.

She had built a house with her sister. But when the latter asked for the house, saying she had cared for Auntie Mas’ sons until they got married, Auntie Mas gave it to her.

At one point, Peh broke down. “Auntie Mas, you always say (you’re) very okay, but it doesn’t look like you're okay,” she said. “You always take care of everyone but yourself.”

As Leticia Peh gets emotional, Auntie Mas tells her: “Don’t cry.”

The former helper’s circumstances resonated with netizens. One Indonesian viewer on YouTube wrote: “There are many ‘Aunty Mas’ in here. A woman who pursued the future for her family and left herself behind.”

Another YouTube user, @Keizoneverybook, reflected on how helpers can spend years away from their spouses and children.

“So please take good care of your helpers when they are with you, don’t take them for granted. Many times, we forgot their sacrifices,” the user wrote.

Others were reminded of helpers who had become part of their own families. YouTube user @ConanDQ2345, whose former helper was with his family for 16 years, expressed hope that he could visit her one day when he is well.

Leena Rashid, meanwhile, had the same helper for 27 years and did pay a surprise visit last year to her home in Indonesia. “She is family and will always be,” wrote the Facebook user.

As for Peh, her trip changed how she saw her relationship with Auntie Mas. She said: “For a long time it’s been one-sided: Me just going to her for comfort. But now it can be a two-way thing.”

She has set up a Give.Asia fundraiser for Auntie Mas, which has raised more than S$11,000 so far, with a target of S$50,000.

“Even though Auntie Mas doesn’t have a dream now, I will work hard to help her find a new one — whether it be a home she can call her own or anything else,” Peh wrote online.

Watch Dino Isaac and Teresa Lee on Finding Teacher here , and Leticia Peh and Auntie Mas on Finding Auntie here . The programme, On The Red Dot, airs on Channel 5 every Friday at 9.30pm.

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一位老师的善意影响了迪诺·艾萨克的一生，而一位曾抚养过莱蒂西亚·佩的帮佣最终付出的远超女孩的想象。他们在《红点之上》中的重逢，深深打动了观众。

迪诺·艾萨克在特蕾莎·李现在任教的伊丽莎白公主小学与他以前的老师重逢。

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：迪诺·艾萨克小时候住在儿童之家，他曾希望他的小学三年级老师特蕾莎·李能收养他。

二十年后，他们激动重逢，原来彼此心意相通。令他惊讶的是，现年44岁的李告诉他，她也有过“类似的想法”。但当时她尚未结婚，所以“把这种想法藏在了心里”。

迪诺的童年饱受虐待和无家可归的困扰，五岁时被送进了儿童之家。

李老师只当了他半年的班主任，但在转学前，她又在金泰小学和他一起待了两年。她悉心培养了他的音乐才能，让他感到被关注和重视。

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迪诺告诉李，他小时候的愿望就是被她收养。

“李女士简直就是上天派来的守护天使，”他说。“她像父母一样照顾我。”

现年 30 岁的他，求助于 On The Red Dot 组织，找到了她现在就读的学校，向她展示了自己一路走来的历程，并告诉她，受她的善良启发，他决定从事社会工作。

他们的故事是该节目“寻找”系列的一部分，该系列旨在让新加坡人与那些默默无闻的导师、朋友以及塑造他们人生的重要人物重聚。

该事件在网上引发了大量反响，在 YouTube 上的观看次数已超过 200 万次，评论超过 2000 条。

许多观众表示，这场重聚让他们感动落泪。其他人则反思了教师对学生的影响，并缅怀了那些改变了他们人生的教育者。

我们永远不会忘记的老师们

李对迪诺的关心远不止于课堂上。迪诺高烧时，她悉心照料；迪诺零花钱不够时，她给他买吃的；听过迪诺唱歌后，她还选他加入学校合唱团。

他们通过合唱团的排练和演出建立了更牢固的联系，当活动结束得很晚时，她会把他带回儿童之家。

尽管他的成绩并不理想，她仍然鼓励他，并在他的成绩单上写道，他很有音乐和艺术天赋，可以成为一名优秀的领导者。“她看到了我的潜力，”他回忆道。

李和迪诺在金泰小学的班级合影中。

观看他们的重聚视频，激发了一些观众与曾经影响过自己人生的老师重新建立联系的愿望。Instagram 用户 @kei.hirano88 回忆起两位老师，在她家无力承担学费时，他们曾帮助她支付学费。

“正因为有了他们，我现在才如此成功。这个故事提醒我，我需要找到过去帮助过我的老师们，”这位用户写道。

对于YouTube用户@punsohtang来说，这件事令人百感交集。他从理工学院毕业后，原本想感谢一位小学老师的悉心照料，却得知老师已经去世。

“我一直没机会感谢她，”该用户写道，并补充说，观看迪诺的重聚让他“稍微释怀了一些”。

有些网友在毕业多年后仍然记得老师的鼓励。退休人士@DennisYoungblood-r6b表示，他自己的老师“李老师”曾给予他“勇气和自信”，这份精神多年来一直伴随着他。

“即使在那些感到‘冒名顶替综合症’的平静时刻，我也会想起她，想起她给予我的鼓励，”他写道。

对于曾在课后辅导项目中任教的 YouTube 用户 @dannykuang9433 来说，这一集突显了教师能够带来的持久影响。

“优秀的老师百万里挑一，他们触动、激励和帮助无数人的心灵，引领他们走向世界，”他写道。“我希望世界上每个学生都能遇到属于自己的李老师。”

一生关怀背后的牺牲

该系列节目中出现的关爱人物不仅限于教师。23岁的莱蒂西亚·佩（Leticia Peh）希望能找到她以前的家庭帮佣穆斯利查·阿卜杜拉（Muslichah Abdullah），也就是大家熟知的“玛斯阿姨”（Auntie Mas），玛斯阿姨照顾了她和她的三个兄弟姐妹约12年。

在她们最艰难的时刻，玛姨一直陪伴在她们身边。佩在小学时患有未确诊的听力障碍，学习很吃力。每当她回家后情绪低落时，玛姨都会注意到，并为她准备饭菜，安慰她。

这位帮佣对家中最小的孩子莱内特也同样呵护备至，莱内特出生时患有唐氏综合征。佩回忆说，玛斯阿姨曾对他们的父亲说：“先生，如果您不想要她，我就把她带回家。”

阔别11年后，白薇秀前往印度尼西亚的库杜斯岛，给了她一个惊喜。惊愕不已的玛斯阿姨惊叹道：“感觉像在做梦一样。”

但这次探访也让白女士了解了 56 岁的马姨在新加坡工作 20 年后的生活状况。

她说，她独自一人住在租来的房间里。她的儿子们住在印度尼西亚的其他地方，而她的孙辈们因为她离开太久，和她并不亲近。

她和妹妹一起盖了一栋房子。但当妹妹向她要房子时，说她一直照顾着玛姨的儿子们直到他们结婚，玛姨就把房子给了她。

佩女士一度情绪崩溃。“玛斯阿姨，你总是说你没事，但看起来你好像并不好，”她说。“你总是照顾别人，却唯独忽略了自己。”

当白丽缇情绪激动时，玛斯阿姨对她说：“别哭。”

这位前帮佣的遭遇引起了网友的共鸣。一位印尼网友在YouTube上评论道：“这里面有很多‘玛莎阿姨’的影子。她们为了家庭的未来而牺牲了自己。”

另一位 YouTube 用户 @Keizoneverybook 反思了帮工们如何与配偶和孩子分离数年。

“所以，请好好珍惜那些帮助你的人，不要把他们的付出视为理所当然。很多时候，我们都忘记了他们的牺牲，”这位用户写道。

其他人则想起了那些早已成为他们家人的帮手。YouTube 用户 @ConanDQ2345 的一位前帮手曾在他家工作了 16 年，他表示希望有一天身体康复后能够去看望她。

与此同时，莉娜·拉希德的保姆已经为她服务了27年，去年她还惊喜地去印尼的家中探望了这位保姆。“她就像家人一样，永远都是，”这位脸书用户写道。

至于白薇，这次旅行改变了她对与马姨关系的看法。她说：“很长一段时间以来，这都是单方面的付出：我只是想找她寻求安慰。但现在，这可以变成双向的了。”

她为 Mas 阿姨在 Give.Asia 上发起了一项筹款活动，目前已筹集超过 11,000 新元，目标是 50,000 新元。

“虽然玛斯阿姨现在没有梦想，但我会努力帮助她找到新的梦想——无论是一个属于她自己的家，还是其他任何东西，”佩在网上写道。

观看迪诺·艾萨克和特蕾莎·李出演的《寻找老师》，请点击此处；观看白薇秀和玛斯阿姨出演的《寻找阿姨》，请点击此处。节目《红点之上》每周五晚9点30分在第五频道播出。

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