Building a Heart-Safe Nation for Tomorrow: Singapore Heart Foundation Launches the “Be A Heart Hero” Programme to Nurture Budding Life-Savers

New “Be A Heart Hero” programme introduces children to age-appropriate emergency response actions, while strengthening community readiness to respond to cardiac emergencies at home and within the community.

Singapore, 28 February 2026 – The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) today held a two-day “Heart Safe Family Festival @ Punggol Digital District” event at the Nexus @ Punggol Coast Mall. The event was graced by Guests of Honour, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Adviser to Punggol GRC Grassroots Organisations, as well as Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Adviser to Punggol GRC Grassroots Organisations.

The family-friendly event brought together parents and children for interactive activities designed to equip the community with simple, practical steps to respond to a cardiac emergency. These are especially critical as close to 80% of sudden cardiac arrests occur outside healthcare settings, where immediate bystander intervention can significantly improve the chances of survival. In addition, experts were also on site to share infant and child safety knowledge and skills with the participants, through two public talks as well as life-saving skill demonstrations.

The highlight of the event was the official launch of the “Be A Heart Hero” programme, which was designed to equip children aged 5 to 8 with the confidence and skills to recognise a cardiac emergency and play a part in saving a life by calling the emergency medical services hotline and alerting a trusted adult to begin resuscitation.

Nurturing Young Life-Saving Heroes

Designed for young children, the “Be A Heart Hero” programme breaks down emergency response into simple, age-appropriate steps through storytelling and guided activities. Children learn how to recognise the signs when someone needs urgent help, who to call and seek help from and what information to share, as well as why acting quickly can save lives.

While the young children are not expected to perform full resuscitation independently, the initiative reinforces their vital role in activating help quickly – a critical first step in the chain of survival.

Since its pilot in March 2025, more than 1,000 children across 18 preschools, primary schools and student care centres in Singapore have participated in the programme.

“Building a heart safe nation starts with nurturing awareness from a young age. When preschoolers learn how to call for help to save a life, they not only gain the confidence to respond in an emergency, but also bring these important lessons home, creating a ripple effect across their families,” said Professor Tan Huay Cheem, Chairman, Singapore Heart Foundation.

He added: “The Be A Heart Hero programme teaches children to recognise the signs when something is amiss, know how to call for help, and alert nearby adults to act quickly. These strengthen the vital first response that takes place before medical help arrives.”

Preschool Operators as Community Partners for Be A Heart Hero

Partnering with the preschool operators islandwide has been integral in the roll-out of this programme to impart life-saving awareness to young children. During the pilot runs, early adopters like Star Learners, Little Footprints Preschool and Little Skool-House proved that the programme has been successful in engaging the preschoolers to learn how to recognise and respond to a cardiac emergency.

“Participating in the Be A Heart Hero programme has been a meaningful experience for our preschoolers and it helped build their confidence and a sense of responsibility from a tender age. Through the fun and interactive learning experience, the little ones have been able to remember how to recognise and seek help in a cardiac emergency. Their parents have also expressed strong support for this programme,” said Ms Cheryl Lee, preschool teacher at Star Learners @ Sengkang.

Gracing the launch together with Dr Janil Puthucheary, Ms Yeo Wan Ling believes that this meaningful initiative will have lasting benefits as these children grow into integral members of our community.
“Emergency preparedness is an important mindset and it should be nurtured from young. I stand with the Singapore Heart Foundation on the official launch of the Be A Heart Hero programme, which effectively introduces early life-saving awareness through simple and easy-to-remember follow-up actions. The swift response from the child could make a critical difference between life and death,” said Ms Yeo.

For more information about the Be A Heart Hero programme, please visit: https://www.myheart.org.sg/programmes/be-a-heart-hero/.