SINGAPORE – Caring for his dad, who was stricken with end-stage colon cancer, made Mr Herman Sing realise how fragile life is.

He left his job as a global account manager in a multinational company when he was 29 to care for his father, who died two years later at the age of 59.

“I felt life is so uncertain, so vulnerable. So I decided to do more,” said Mr Sing, now 45 and working as a logistics director.

He made up his mind to donate his liver to anyone who wanted it, despite knowing the possible impact on his own health.

“When a patient is suffering from a terminal disease, it’s not just the patient (who is affected), it’s also the caregiver... I’m also giving new hope and a new opportunity for a family.”

In early 2023, he donated 67 per cent of his liver to a stranger on the national waiting list. There are around 50 people on the waiting list at any time, and some do not survive the average wait time of one or two years. The Straits Times is unable to reveal when the procedure took place to comply with guidelines relating to recipient anonymity.

Mr Sing is a finalist for the Singaporean of the Year award, organised by The Straits Times.

The award is given to a Singaporean, or a group of citizens, who has made a significant contribution to society.

This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.

The award, now in its ninth edition, is presented by UBS Singapore.

Mr Sing’s wife Lim Pei San broke down when he first told her about his decision in late 2022, after he passed medical tests and was matched to an anonymous recipient.

“Why do you want to go through this? You’re in the pink of health. Why do you want to lose that?” she asked him.

The couple has four children, aged five, nine, 13 and 17. Ms Lim, 45, works as a senior manager at a statutory board.

Friends and family alike questioned why Mr Sing was donating a big part of his liver to a stranger.

But he urged them to focus on the high chance of survival, and explained his rationale. “If our loved ones are (in the same situation) and we cannot donate, won’t we also hope that a stranger will come forward? So why can’t we be that angel to people?”

Mr Sing, who used to go for daily jogs before the operation, now feels breathless after a short walk and struggles to lift heavy bags. He also feels a sharp pain at the incision occasionally, and has to avoid oily food like his favourite laksa, as his gallbladder was removed as part of the surgery.

But he has no regrets.

“I may not know that person, but as long as I know that he or she is doing well, having a wonderful family life, that is the most important to me. Whatever pain, whatever other complication, I can manage,” he said.

“Maybe some people would think that it’s stupid, but I don’t think so... If (the recipient) brings it forward and... (also does) good deeds, then I think that’s how goodness is passed on.”

Mr Sing is no stranger to helping others. For 20 years, he has been volunteering on weekends, such as delivering bread and groceries to those in need, befriending dialysis patients, and beach cleaning.

“Eventually I decided I wanted to do more, to save somebody’s life, because I realised that when you don’t have a healthy body, you really cannot do anything.”

This prompted him to start donating blood, and then blood plasma and platelets – the donation of which requires a longer and more complicated procedure than the jab in the arm for blood donation.

In March 2023, he started a volunteer group to multiply the impact of his volunteer efforts. His goal was to bring in people who wanted to help, but did not know where to start.

The group has about 50 volunteers ranging from the ages of 10 to 67, and they take on tasks such as food delivery and befriending dialysis patients.

Mr Sing also ropes in his wife and four kids during the weekends and school holidays, favouring volunteer work over enrichment lessons. “If I am a good role model, my children will grow up to be good people. That’s the best lesson I can teach them,” he said.

Analyst Peng Paik Yen, 44, who has been a colleague of Mr Sing for more than 10 years, said he inspired her and a few other co-workers to do volunteer work.

“He is very genuine. He always wants to help others with his very pure heart,” Ms Peng said.

About his move to donate his liver, she said: “I feel it’s quite amazing that there’s someone who’s willing to help another stranger and... affect their own self.”

Mr Sing is perhaps the biggest inspiration to his wife of 19 years, who has known him since Primary 1 when they were classmates.

Said Ms Lim: “He’s extraordinary. He’s always doing things that we never think that we would do.”