For her selfless devotion in caring for her 12-year-old sister, Miss Sharon Sia won by a landslide to become The New Paper's Hero of the Year.
Readers were asked to choose their hero of 2008, selected from 10 stories of courage that made headlines in the paper last year.
And the 26-year-old received more than 1,200 votes out of 1,752 that were cast.
Miss Sia was stunned when told of her win.
She said: 'I didn't know that anyone would think much of what I've been doing for the past few years.
'I'm no hero. I feel a bit embarrassed with all this attention.'
Miss Sia had put her own life on hold, giving up her own studies, career and social life to be a full-time caregiver to Jin Zhu. Her sister has muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic disease that slowly weakens the muscles.
She even stood outside Jin Zhu's classroom every day, taking notes for her as the girl could not take notes fast enough.
'It may be difficult to cope sometimes, having to put someone else completely ahead of yourself, but I'm used to it,' said Miss Sia.
'It's a lifestyle. There's nothing noble or great about it. It's only right that I care for my sister because she's family.'
Our report, published on 15 Dec, spawned an outpouring of messages from about 60 readers. Many of them wanted to help the sisters.
Some described Miss Sia as an 'inspiration' and a 'rare gem'.
A few readers took the sisters shopping for books and toys, while a handful volunteered to ferry Jin Zhu to and from hospital whenever she needed.
But most dug deep and gave money for Jin Zhu's upcoming operation.
The girl is due to have metal rods inserted in her back next week at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital. The rods would prevent her spine from collapsing onto her lungs, which would cause breathing difficulties.
The operation is estimated to cost at least $22,000. Close to $6,000 has been collected so far.
Said Miss Sia: 'I'm extremely grateful to all who have offered help.
'But it's really enough. We may be poor but we don't want to depend on charity.'
And what does little Jin Zhu think of her sister's win?
She said: 'My sister is great. But we really didn't expect all this attention. I'm really surprised and happy.'
Other winners
Mr Saran Saunthara Pandian, who died while saving a drowning woman on 19 Dec, came in second on the list of heroes. He received more than 300 votes.
The Malaysian security guard, 19, heard someone shouting for help while he was working at the Riverside View serviced apartments near the Singapore River.
Though he was not a good swimmer, he jumped in without a second thought. He managed to pull the woman to the side of the river, but he was swept away by the waters before he could climb up.
Mr Lim Chwee Guan came in third with more than 70 votes.
The 40-year-old, who can see only partially with one eye, has been single-handedly taking care of his 90-year-old mother, who suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer's disease.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Jan 02, 2009.
