Sometimes Kindness happens Before Anyone Has To Think About Fame Or Praise

On the morning of May 15, 2015, 22-year-old Harman Singh was at home in Takanini, South Auckland, New Zealand, when he heard screeching tires outside.

He rushed toward Manuroa Road and found six-year-old Daejon Pahia seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle while walking to Takanini School with his older sister.

Singh immediately went to help.

Seeing that the boy had suffered a serious head injury, he removed his turban, known as a dastaar in Sikh tradition, and carefully used it to support Daejon’s head while they waited for emergency responders.

For Sikhs who wear one, the turban carries deep religious and personal meaning and is not something casually removed in public. But Singh later explained that, in that moment, he was not thinking about the turban or about himself. He simply saw a child who needed help.

Daejon was taken to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland, where doctors treated him for a fractured skull and other injuries. He underwent surgery and later began recovering.

A few days afterward, Singh visited him in the hospital. By then, a photograph of the roadside moment had spread around the world, and people from many countries were praising Singh’s compassion.

He was later recognized by local police, but Singh never seemed interested in being called a hero.

To him, the situation was simple: someone was hurt, and he did what he could.