Stand to win 50,000 KrisFlyer miles when you vote for your favourite everyday essential hero!
Here are 10 featured stories from our nominated essential heroes. From now until 16 February 2021, you can vote for your favourite story, and when you include a creative or heartwarming reason for your story of choice, you’ll stand to win 50,000 KrisFlyer miles!
Five heroes with the most number of votes for their stories will win a Business Class upgrade each when they choose to use their gift to redeem an award ticket with Singapore Airlines or SilkAir.
You can only vote once with 50 KrisFlyer miles.
Liwen Lee
Doctor, Singapore
Working on the frontlines can sometimes mean being present when family and friends are not able to. Being able to be there…
Working on the frontlines can sometimes mean being present when family and friends are not able to. Being able to be there for both the patients and their family members has been a unique and precious experience for me as a new doctor. Patients who have been admitted to isolation wards to rule out COVID-19 are not able to receive visitors until their swabs are negative, and this often brings worry to concerned family members.There was an elderly man that I attended to – he was warded, and was extremely concerned that his wife would be worried about him. And because they were not digitally savvy and did not own smartphones, they were not able to video call each other. I felt deeply for them, as they were seniors who often only had each other for company, and this separation in COVID-19 times might have made them feel lonely. That’s why I called his wife daily to update and reassure her about her husband’s condition.
When the elderly man was finally able to be discharged, his wife came to fetch him home, and she was so cheery and happy. Being able to witness everyday acts of love has been a beautiful part of my job on the frontlines, and I feel so thankful that I’m in a position where I can bridge gaps between my patients and their families.
When the pandemic is over, I hope to finally go on my honeymoon to Europe! It was a trip that my husband and I never got to go for in June 2020, and we are looking forward to travelling once again.
Yang Liu
Disability Support Worker, Australia
As a disability support worker, my patients are disabled and vulnerable people. One of them has intellectual disabilities…
As a disability support worker, my patients are disabled and vulnerable people. One of them has intellectual disabilities, autism, as well as Dravet Syndrome, which is a severe type of epilepsy that’s characterised by prolonged seizures. Because of this disease, his family who is very close to him, used to visit him often, just so that they could lift his spirits.However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. His family could no longer visit him because of community restrictions. At the same time, we were also not allowed to take him to a cafe or even go on a walk in the botanical gardens, and this was extremely stressful for my autistic patient.
His parents and I tried to think of ways to relieve his stress, and I was inspired to connect him with his loved ones through video calls! His family was extremely receptive to this idea, and that’s when we set up a date for the very first video call. The first time my patient saw his parents through the screen, a wide smile returned to his face, and everyone was overjoyed that we had found a way to make him feel better amidst the pandemic. Although my job is extremely hard, I’m so grateful that I can help to maintain the health of my patients, while also ensuring that they maintain close contact with their family as well as the community.
There’s one thing that I’d like to do once the pandemic is over – I really would like to visit Singapore as I’ve heard so much about the food there, but I’ve never gotten the chance to try it. Food, and a relaxed holiday is something that I’m really looking forward to!
Lo Ying Tai
Doctor, Singapore
I was working on the tele-medicine service for migrant workers during the height of the pandemic. I remember a call I made…
I was working on the tele-medicine service for migrant workers during the height of the pandemic. I remember a call I made to a migrant worker who had requested to see a doctor. When the video call connected, I sensed that something was amiss, as I saw the face of a man with tears down his face and fear in his eyes. He told me that he had just been informed that he was COVID-19 positive, and he was frightened.Instead of being afraid of the virus itself, he was worried about his employment, his debts, and his family back in Bangladesh. He was experiencing mood swings and was even contemplating suicide. What was supposed to be a five minute tele-consult turned into a counselling session that lasted an hour. With broken English and many things lost in translation, we spoke about his family, his aspirations and his dreams of the future. We also spoke about COVID-19, and demystified the many myths about the disease.
At the end of the consultation, he was visibly more settled, and the fear in his eyes became a sparkle. To me, that was another hour of my day, but to him, that was an hour of human interaction, something that he yearned for while being in quarantine. The conversations meant the world to him, and possibly rescued him from the depths of depression. That day, I learnt that sparing a little bit of time and lending a listening ear can make such a huge impact in someone else's life, and even though I left work late, my heart was full.
COVID-19 disrupted many of my travel plans, and I had to cancel a trip with my then girlfriend, now fiancé, to Japan. I had planned to propose to her there, but we had to cancel our trip. I’m glad she said yes when I proposed to her locally afterwards. Once this pandemic is over, I would like take my now fiancé back to Japan to make up for the lost experiences that COVID-19 has taken away. After all, travelling is our favourite past time, and being able to travel to our favourite country, Japan, would mean the world to us.
Windsor Choi
Doctor, Australia
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, I remember looking after a Burmese family of six. The memory of caring for this family sticks with me till today…
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, I remember looking after a Burmese family of six. The memory of caring for this family sticks with me till today as they only had one teenager who could speak English, so translation was difficult sometimes! Their grandfather, aged 67, was COVID-19 positive, and was in isolation in a bungalow that was separate from their main house. He was away from his family for 14 days, but thankfully, he managed to pull through and recovered fully! Later on, his two-year-old grandchild had also tested positive for the disease, but also managed to recover.Ironically, many of my patients with good intentions also came to me with advice on how I should best protect myself against COVID-19. From hot ginger and lemongrass tea, to placing onion bulbs with shoots in every consultation room and having a daily dose of gin, I was given so much advice – more so than I ever remembered in my years as a doctor. I even had one devout Catholic patient who would pray for me to be in good health, and an elderly Italian lady who offered me her homemade pasta sauce to boost my immune system!
Above all, it was heart-warming to receive compliments whenever my patients thanked me for being there for them during this pandemic.
Once COVID-19 blows over, our clinic’s operating hours will be back to normal – and I really hope our patients will return for their much-needed check-ups and screening tests!
Muhammad Fadhil
Flight Nurse, Singapore
Being part of a medical team that works to evacuate people by flights has always been extremely fulfilling, and it is even more so…
Being part of a medical team that works to evacuate people by flights has always been extremely fulfilling, and it is even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic started, I’ve brought more than 15 patients either back home, or to a centre of medical excellence, via medical repatriation. The most memorable flight that I’ve had to date is one where we had to transport a Singaporean expat based in Jakarta, back to Singapore.As he was showing severe COVID-19 symptoms, we had to arrange for an urgent evacuation that had to take place within 24 hours of the first call, so that we could urgently bring him back for advanced medical treatment. During the flight transfer, we had to use a Portable Medical Isolation Unit (PMIU), so that we could ensure the safety of rest of the medical team and flight crew – and reduce the risk of anyone else getting infected. Thankfully, the patient was safely transferred back to Singapore, where he was rushed to a hospital to receive treatment.
Whenever any medical repatriation is completed successfully, I feel happy that I’ve managed to help someone in need, and that I could be by their side, ensuring that they are safe throughout the entire journey in the air ambulance.
Once the pandemic is over, I hope to take my family on a trip to Australia. I’ve always promised them annual trips to places that I’ve been to over the course of my work, and this year, we were supposed to visit Melbourne, but due to the pandemic, the trip was cancelled. I’m looking forward to the day that I can fulfil my promise!
Deepa Joseph
Registered Nurse, Australia
This COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives so greatly. As a nurse who works in an isolation ward, my most heartbreaking moment…
This COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives so greatly. As a nurse who works in an isolation ward, my most heartbreaking moment was when I had to admit a young mother who had just given birth. This meant that she had to leave her baby and be isolated in the hospital due to the COVID-19 virus.At first, she was extremely down, and it broke me to hear her say “I miss my family”. During her two-week stay in the COVID-19 ward, my team members and I were not just her nurses, but her temporary family, providing her with positivity and hope. And with proper care and emotional support, she overcame the depressive moods and felt much better. I clearly remember the day her test result came back negative - it was two weeks after she was admitted to the COVID-19 ward. She was so overjoyed that she didn’t have to be in isolation anymore, and she could be reunited with her newborn and rest of her family once again!
I really wish for a world where nobody suffers from COVID-19 anymore.
I’m looking forward to the day when some normalcy returns, so that I can visit my parents, who are old and living abroad. I haven’t seen them for two years, which is a very long time, and I want to spend some valuable time with them.
Caleb Lim
Doctor, Singapore
At the height of the pandemic, I worked in the Department of Neonatology in one of Singapore's public hospitals. Together with…
At the height of the pandemic, I worked in the Department of Neonatology in one of Singapore's public hospitals. Together with my fellow colleagues, I tended to the newborn babies of mothers who were treated as COVID-19 suspect cases during their hospital admissions, as these newborn babies would have to be isolated once they were born.When tending to the babies, we had to don a full set of personal protective equipment (PPE) and strap a machine called the Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) to our waist. This heavy and bulky outfit not only served as our shield against the COVID-19 virus, but also made us look no different from astronauts!
Whenever a mother who was treated as a COVID-19 suspect case gave birth, I would have to run at top speed to the Operating Theatre to receive the baby, and I recall getting many bemused looks from bystanders whenever I was running in my astronaut-like outfit! I also performed all medical procedures in that outfit, and would never fail to be quickly drenched in sweat, even if it took a short amount of time.
The babies would never remember the chaos and drama surrounding their birth, but as long as they were discharged healthy to their parents, that was enough to provide me the drive and energy to keep pressing onward.
The first thing that I would like to do after this pandemic is over is to embark on a vacation to South Korea! I have missed the hustle and bustle of Seoul, as well as the various gastronomic delights offered by the country. I cannot wait for the day when we can travel freely, just like how it was before this pandemic.
Alan Howson
Night Facilities Manager, United Kingdom
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom, I remember leaving my home for the hospital – it was my usual route to work…
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom, I remember leaving my home for the hospital – it was my usual route to work, but I was scared stiff. I didn’t know if I would catch the disease, but I went in regardless, to take the lead and help my team. To speak to those staff who were worried, and to comfort the patients with COVID-19. I think that the most frightening part of this pandemic was that we had to deal with something that no one knew anything about.In March 2020, we had a patient who was extremely unwell. Sadly, the patient wasn't responding to any of the treatments that we administered, and all we could do was to nurse the patient to the best of our abilities. We didn’t dare hope for a full recovery, but miraculously, this patient started to respond to treatment, and approximately 4 months later, was discharged. This left such a deep impression on me, and the day of the discharge was when all of us formed a guard of honour and clapped and cheered as the patient made his way out. Although we had our face masks on, all of us had satisfied smiles hidden behind our masks, as we were so full of joy seeing him well again.
COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down, and my wife who works at a separate hospital, as well as my two sons, haven’t managed to spend much time together since March! It’s therefore my wish to spend some time together after this pandemic is over – hopefully I can spoil my family and make up for all the times that we couldn’t see each other, because they mean the world to me.
Koh Seng Choon
Founder of Dignity Kitchen, Singapore
As the founder of Dignity Kitchen, a food court run by people with disabilities (both physical and intellectual) as well as the disadvantaged…
As the founder of Dignity Kitchen, a food court run by people with disabilities (both physical and intellectual) as well as the disadvantaged, I knew that we were in for a rough ride when COVID-19 hit at the beginning of 2020.Given that my kitchens are staffed by the disabled and the disadvantaged, I was certain that they would be very worried about their jobs and incomes, and I shared with my team (both in Singapore and Hong Kong) that we would have to stay together if we are to survive this crisis in the coming months, as they would be very challenging. Even though the outlook was very bad, I promised them that I would not cut their salary or retrench them, as this was clearly weighing heavily on their minds.
In the next few months, our revenue dropped sharply, and all our businesses except for our food delivery arm was shut down. In order to tide through this difficult period, I took a loan to support our 128 employees, 96 of whom are disabled. Months after COVID-19 hit, I’m happy to say that not only have we not lost any of our staff, we’ve also managed to pay all our employees their full salary.
I was extremely heartened when my team told me that this pandemic has brought them closer together, and that we are one family facing the crisis together. I’m also grateful to many of my staff who willingly agreed to change their job roles, and multitask, so that we could all get through this crisis as one.
When the pandemic is over and we can travel again, I’ll want to take some of my trainers in Singapore, to Hong Kong, to train the disabled there. I can’t wait to do so!
Muhammad Hanafi Bin Asril Rajo Mantari
Lecturer, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
As a lecturer as well as a resident college’s fellow at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, I give lectures as well as ensure…
As a lecturer as well as a resident college’s fellow at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, I give lectures as well as ensure that all the students who live in the residential colleges are well taken care of in terms of academic performance and wellbeing. During the COVID-19 outbreak, my team and I were tasked to look after more than 200 students, some of whom were under quarantine due to the pandemic, as well as those who were either under investigation or surveillance.My most memorable moment was when I involved in a nationwide student repatriation operation during Ramadan, also known as the fasting month in the Islamic calendar. In short, I was tasked to send students who were still in the various residential colleges, back to their hometowns, taking into account numerous procedures to comply with Malaysia's Movement Control Order. Together with some police riders, I escorted them home in a 200km journey on a bus provided by the university. This operation was done overnight, and lasted till 4am. Even though I felt exhausted, but the grateful faces of the students who thanked me for sending them home before the Hari Raya festivities began, has stuck with me ever since."
"When it’s safe to travel again, I would like to bring my family to New Zealand. I’d like to spend some time with them, creating new memories while exploring New Zealand’s natural beauty as well as trying some of the activities that they are famed for – skydiving, hiking and stargazing.
What can everyday essential heroes do with their Miles of Good?
Eligible nominees will receive 60,000 KrisFlyer miles each, which can be used to redeem air tickets for a well-deserved break, book a hotel stay for a staycation, rent a car for a road trip, or even redeem for gift items on KrisShop.
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Flight ticket - OR
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Staycation - OR
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Car rental - OR
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KrisShop items
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Miles of Good Campaign?
The Miles of Good campaign is organised by Singapore Airlines Limited.The aim of the Campaign is to raise a total of 100 million KrisFlyer miles for eligible everyday essential workers, of which Singapore Airlines will contribute 30 million KrisFlyer miles and KrisFlyer members will contribute 70 million KrisFlyer miles, to thank the efforts and contributions of these essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please refer to the Campaign Terms and Conditions for further information.
Who are considered “Everyday Essential Heroes”?
Everyday essential heroes include healthcare workers, public transport workers, supermarket employees, cleaners and food delivery, courier and postal services personnel.
How will the nominees be credited with the miles?
Singapore Airlines will contact the eligible nominated individuals via the email address provided by KrisFlyer members to inform these individuals that they have been nominated to receive a gift of KrisFlyer miles from a KrisFlyer member. Nominees will be required to submit their details, which includes their KrisFlyer membership number and a short entry about their experience working as an essential service worker during Covid-19, for Singapore Airlines to credit the miles to their KrisFlyer accounts after the donation period has closed.