On 4 Dec, a 16-year-old Juan Carlos “JC” Alonzo Sumbad became a hero in Baguio City, Philippines, after saving the life of a 64-year-old man who suffered a heart attack.
Upon seeing the elderly man lying face down on the street, Mr Sumbad, who was on his way home, immediately jumped off the back of a jeepney to help.
“It was a busy area, but no one seemed to notice until I shouted for help,” he recounted.
Performing first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Mr Sumbad stabilised the man until medical responders arrived.
“The medical responders told me that if JC hadn’t acted when he did, my father would have passed away right there,” shared Victor Chua, the elderly man’s son, with Mountain Beacon.
He added that his father has been discharged from the intensive care unit and is set to undergo a heart bypass operation.
Mr Chua attempted to reward Mr Sumbad with cash for his efforts, but the young hero declined.
“He said kindness should be normalised,” Mr Chua said. “This young man is one of a kind. At just 16 years old, he has changed our lives.”
A 10th-grade special education (SPED) student, Mr Sumbad humbly said his actions shouldn’t be seen as exceptional.
“I believe everyone has the capability to help,” he told Mountain Beacon. “This shouldn’t be treated as extraordinary; it should be normal for all of us.”
This isn’t the first time the teen, founder and president of the Rising Youth Innovative Society supporting marginalised youth in crisis, has extended a helping hand.
In 2022, he stayed with a shoe repairman who was convulsing on the street until help arrived.
Earlier this year, he convinced a man experiencing psychosis to seek medical attention, coordinated with a psychiatric ward, and helped reunite him with his family.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, upon learning about Mr Sumbad’s acts of kindness, praised him, expressing pride in the teen’s exemplary character.
“Your compassion and love for others is commendable and worth emulating. We hope that more youth will follow your lead,” the mayor said.
Also read: Boy in M’sia rescues 3 stranded cats during flood, praised for his bravery
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Featured image adapted from Facebook, supawatpunnanon on Canva
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