Melbourne: A Sikh man from India, who made international headlines after he broke religious protocol by removing his turban to help a profusely bleeding child in New Zealand, has been presented with a truckload of new furniture for his sparsely decorated flat by a TV station.
Harman Singh, 22, was at his home in Auckland when a six-year-old boy, who was walking to school with his elder sister, was hit by a car nearby last week.
Singh rushed to the spot after hearing the screeching of car wheels and the commotion.
He said he did not think twice about removing his turban to help the child, who was bleeding from the head.
Media worldwide reported his good deed and netizens praised Singh for his action, considered a hugely significant act of humanity by breaking strict religious protocol to help a stranger.
Singh became a worldwide phenomenon after the picture was widely shared online and a news crew from New Zeland's OneNews went to interview him at his home.
After airing the report, viewers raised concerns about his home, which was very sparsely decorated there were only a few plastic garden chairs in the living room, and Singh slept on a mattress on the floor.
The station went back to do a second report, to see how he has dealt with his new found fame and in the interview, he modestly denied that he was famous.
Singh said he was simply doing what anyone would have done in that situation.
But halfway through this second report, he got a surprise -- working with a local furniture shop, the station had arranged for a van full of new furniture to show up at his front door, part of a gift to repay his kindness.
Singh's flatmate Ravi and Lily from the furniture shop also came on board to help fill his house. When the van pulled up outside Singh's house, he was speechless. "We got you some furniture!" Singh's flatmate yelled.
"A lounge suite, a bed and a coffee table, for all the good that you've done," he said.
Singh emotionally accepted the gifts.
"Thank you, thanks a lot. I'm very happy. Is this... it's the biggest surprise of my life," Singh was quoted as saying.
