{
  "id": 13358021,
  "title": "Favourite canteen uncle moved to tears after kind Singaporean student surprises him with a cake for his birthday",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/favourite-canteen-uncle-moved-to-tears-after-kind-singaporean-student",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T07:31:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Independent Singapore",
    "slug": "the-independent-singapore",
    "url": "https://theindependent.sg/favourite-canteen-uncle-moved-to-tears-after-kind-singaporean-student-surprises-him-with-a-cake-for-his-birthday"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A canteen assistant at Temasek Polytechnic's Bizpark Canteen in Tampines was moved to tears after a young Singaporean student surprised him with a cake and a singing birthday wish for his special day. Chloe Lee, the student, arrived at the canteen earlier this week and called out to Uncle Heng, who was standing near a tray return station. She began singing the happy birthday song in Chinese, and when he turned around, he saw her holding a beautifully decorated cake with fruit and a red and white striped candle.\n\nUncle Heng expressed his gratitude for being celebrated and thanked Chloe for her kind act. He revealed that this was the first time in his life that his birthday had been celebrated in such a special way, as it had been over a decade since he experienced a birthday celebration. Uncle Heng shared that he had attended church for more than ten years, indicating that he had not experienced such a gesture before.\n\nIn response, Chloe expressed her appreciation for Uncle Heng's positive demeanor, reminding everyone to celebrate everyone's birthdays. She added that her act was performed during the holidays when classes had not yet resumed, showcasing her dedication to expressing kindness. Commenters on the video praised Chloe for her thoughtful gesture, with one commenter stating that Uncle Heng will never forget the day, and another calling her \"amazing\" and \"thoughtful.\"",
  "summary": "SINGAPORE: A young woman recently gave a canteen uncle a surprise for his birthday, bringing him a piece of cake and even singing for him. To her surprise, he told her that this was the first time in his life that his birthday was celebrated in this way. Chloe (@chloee._lee) documented the touching moment in a video on TikTok earlier this week. At the beginning of the clip, she can be heard…",
  "key_points": [
    "Uncle Heng, canteen assistant, moved to tears by student's surprise",
    "Chloe Lee, Singaporean student, sang birthday song in Chinese",
    "First birthday celebration for Uncle Heng in over a decade"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}