The 20-year-old who carries a weight on his shoulders

Student Rex Ang never goes anywhere without his trusty first-aid kit or trauma bag, as he is ever ready to help save a life.

Here To Help: Contrary to his cheerful and bubbly personality, Rex is serious and focused when attending to a patient. To care for his patients at the scene is his one and only priority and he does not let anything else compromise this goal. PHOTO BY: Derek Wong

Whenever someone meets Rex Ang Jia Jie, they will immediately notice two things - Rex's enthusiasm for helping others, and the first-aid kit that never leaves his side.

Rex is not your typical 20-year-old. While his peers might be into gadgets and gaming, Rex's eyes light up when talking about first aid and saving lives.

And he has walked the talk, attending to around 30 cases since registering on the myResponder app in 2016.

The myResponder app was developed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to help notify volunteers, also known as Community First Responders (CFRs), of cardiac arrest and fire cases within 400m of their location.

“It has always been in me, helping others,” Rex said. “I feel this sense of happiness that really motivates me and strengthens my passion for helping others.”

Walk in the Park: First aid has become a walk in the park for Rex. Having attended to over 30 cases from the myresponder app alone, plus studying at a nursing school, Rex has honed his life saving skills. He has even learnt to keep a clear mind in the most tense situations. PHOTO BY: Derek Wong

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

To aid him in his quest to save lives, Rex equips himself with the necessary tools. He owns a trauma bag that he keeps in his flat in Tampines and takes with him when he attends to a case. He also has a small first aid kit that has accompanied him daily for three years, even when he travels overseas.

All in One: Ranging from simple medical equipment like sterile dressings and CPR masks to more complex ones like Oropharyngeal Airway devices and a stethoscope, the trauma bag has any and every medical equipment for any medical crisis. PHOTO BY: Janani Sivalingam

From bandages to a blood pressure monitor, Rex has almost 20 different tools amounting to about $500 in his 2kg trauma bag. The most expensive item in the bag, which took six months to assemble, is a $120 stethoscope.

Rex takes his tools seriously, saving about $100 a month so he can stock up on his medical supplies. He researches on the quality of the items before buying them from pharmacies or online stores, and also takes into account the demands of the cases that he attends to.

"The main thing is the functionality of it. I mean if I buy something and it doesn’t work then there’s no point," he said.

He also found a group of fellow first aid enthusiasts to share notes about equipment with.

Meticulous Medic: In preparation for a potential case, Rex tests his pulse oximeter, a portable heart rate measuring device, to make sure it is in good working condition. Having equipment fail on you at the scene is something Rex cannot afford to happen. PHOTO BY: Derek Wong

RUNNING TO OTHERS’ AID

Rex puts his tools to good use, having responded to more than 30 cases through the myResponder app as of November 2019.

A Call for Help: Rex became a Community First Responder (CFR) in 2016 and gets about 1-2 cases every month. The app shows the type of case and the exact location of the victim, so that CFRs are able to get to the scene as soon as possible. PHOTO BY: Janani Sivalingam

His cases range from those who suffer heart attacks and need Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to attempted suicide.

One case that affected him greatly was having to perform CPR on a six-month-old infant.

“What was different this time round was that I saw a really small kid that was on the ground, not breathing. Back then, it was a bit of a shock as everyone was crying around me,” Rex said.

However, he kept a strong front and performed CPR on the infant. “At that point in time I couldn’t really be emotional because I had to do what I had to do.” Thankfully, the baby survived.

Being a Community First Responder. Information from the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

A HERO WITHOUT A NAME

Rex does not keep in contact with the people he has helped because a First Responder is required to only attend to the patient while waiting for the ambulance’s arrival.

“I’m just here to attend to the victim. Once I’m done I’ll just leave. I don’t require a thank you because I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do,” he explained.

Furthermore, as a First Responder, Rex is exposed to a lot more than just fainting or CPR cases. He has seen many gruesome scenes and sometimes, dead bodies.

Putting his emotions aside is crucial for the job especially when it involves someone else’s life.

“When I respond to a case, the only thing in my mind is that I need to help this person and I have to put my emotions aside. Should my emotions overwhelm me, that is the point where I won't know what to do,” he said with a tight smile. “So I just stay professional and tell myself that I’ve got this person I need to save, I need to do what I need to do.”

A Little Lifesaver: When Rex is not responding to a medical case, he brings this small first aid kit wherever he goes. It contains some necessary first aid components such as bandages, medical tape and scissors. He certainly is well prepared to save lives at any time and place. PHOTO BY: Derek Wong.

PURSUING A BREWING PASSION

But Rex did not discover his love for helping others only through the app.

According to his mother, an accountant, Mdm Joanne Lee, 48, Rex has always been proactive when it comes to helping others. His parents used to take him to volunteering events such as charity bake sales during his kindergarten years, which Rex would immerse himself in.

Rex’s proper introduction to first aid happened in 2016 when he joined the Singapore Red Cross Society while studying at Singapore Polytechnic. The society’s booth in his polytechnic’s CCA fair had caught his attention.

“Being a practical person, I thought that joining the Red Cross would be a good start to learn how to help people,” he explained.

Keeping Roads Safe: Rex’s medical knowledge and willingness to help comes in handy in many occasions, even for road traffic accidents, where he wears a neon vest especially for these cases. PHOTO BY: Janani Sivalingam

A year later, Rex decided that he had truly found his calling and made the big decision of leaving his aeronautical engineering course and enrolling in the Diploma in Nursing in Parkway College of Nursing and Allied Health.

Luckily, his parents were supportive.

“They knew that my interest wasn’t really in engineering and they knew that I really liked helping people through the myResponder app and my interest in first aid, so it is okay to give it a try,” Rex said.

However, the fire of pursuing his passion has caused his family some worry.

“When he started to help others, I was worried about his health. Many emergency calls (myResponder) occurred in the middle of the night, and he had to go to class during the day and slept really late at night,” Mrs Ang fretted.

PARAMEDIC ASPIRATIONS

Figurines of his Future: From the many first-aid related events Rex has attended, he gets mini ambulance figurines, which he puts for display at the front of his desk.To him, these figurines serve as a motivation for him to pursue his aspirations of becoming a paramedic. PHOTO BY: Janani Sivalingam

Rex is not turning back now that he is forging his path. He aspires to be a paramedic in a hospital’s Accident & Emergency Unit because to him, the handling and treating of patients when they are on the way to the hospital is crucial.

To get to his dream job, Rex is investing his time and energy into his nursing course. He is scheduled to graduate in November 2021.

“I do know that after going through this process and season of struggle, the outcome would be better than what I am going through right now,” Rex said with a confident smile.