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Back in the year 2006, I made a trip to Canberra for an interview at a medical college. I assumed to book a place to stay after getting there, yet once I got there, a large conference was happening and every single budget hostels and budget accommodation were completely sold out.

Coming from Singapore, I thought perhaps I could bed down in the airport – only to discover Canberra airport, not like the one back home, closes around the clock. Unsure of how to proceed and getting a bit desperate, I caught a bus into town and began walking in the direction of a gaming venue, thinking I could pass the evening in an establishment that stayed open all night. Admittedly, this plan in the ideal condition to succeed at the admissions interview the next day, yet, as a student on a tight budget, a pricey hotel was out of reach.

Our society requires more people with such compassion.

I must have looked out of place because a young woman saw me wandering around the city center and inquired whether I needed help. I shared my situation and immediately she said I was welcome to sleep on the ground at her university residence at ANU – a perfect solution, considering that was where my medical school interview would take place the next morning. She even offered some food: a leftover stuffed baguettes she had taken home her part-time job. I had access to a hot shower and somewhere safe to rest to sleep.

Looking back, I can appreciate the enormous leap of faith she undertook as a young woman inviting a man who was a complete stranger stay in her room. At that time I existed within a bubble of male privilege and not even thinking to the potential danger. Today, as a parent, I am astonished she offered that help – yet incredibly thankful.

Ultimately, I did not go to that university, and I lost touch with that kind stranger again, but I’ve never forgotten that incredible gesture of generosity. I hope life has returned her act of kindness tenfold. We could all use more people with such compassion.