Sydney plumber well-knownshows heroic act, charity work behind essential profession alternate
Alex Taskun becomes a 24-year-antique bank trainee with a comfy activity and a vibrant destiny whilst he was given caught up in a brutal knife assault that might alternate his lifestyle. It became 2004, and he becomes on his manner to paintings one morning whilst he observed one guy chasing every other down a western Sydney avenue. At first, he thought one of the men changed into wearing long pink sleeves — but he soon realized it changed into true blood, and he had stumbled upon a vicious assault.
The knife-wielding crook had stabbed his victim a couple of instances, and Mr. Taskun knew he had to act.
“Instinct kicked in, and I tried to save the guy … It was complete-on and quite excessive. However, that’s the manner life is,” he advised information.Com.Au. Mr. Taskun gave chase and managed to conquer and disarm the attacker, narrowly averting being stabbed himself.
“There have been humans around me; however, nobody did anything,” he stated. “The guy was at the floor along with his guts out … he misplaced more than a liter of blood.” Eventually, bystanders stepped in, and that they and Mr. Taskun common a few sticky tapes into a tourniquet to staunch the man’s bleeding earlier than an ambulance arrived. The sufferer needed almost 900 stitches, and a decision later found the attacker was criminally insane.
Mr. Taskun was offered three medals for his courage, including the Commonwealth’s maximum bravery award, the Gold Stanhope Medal. But it was just the start of the Sydney guy’s selfless deeds. He remained on the bank for the next few years; however, whilst he became asked one day at an education consultation in which he desired to be in 5 years, he stunned his colleagues by revealing he wanted to transport into charity paintings.
“The concept I became crazy, that they had invested a lot in me,” he said. “I changed into a completely comfortable process on a six-digit revenue — it was big cash.” Mr. Taskun had also realized that one of the most meaningful approaches to enhance people’s lives changed into thru clean water and sanitation — and so, at the age of 30, he determined to depart his cozy banking activity and take a big gamble with the aid of beginning a plumbing apprenticeship.
He also based his own charity, Wold Orphan Fund, at around the equal time in 2010. The charity is focused on helping underprivileged communities in Cambodia, as Mr. Taskun believed the country did no longer acquire the same degrees of attention as other international locations in the location.
He additionally believed the kingdom’s small population might allow him to make more of a difference.
For the next four years, he divided his time among his apprenticeship — “scraping through” on much less than $forty 000 — and visiting Cambodia to get the charity off the floor while also worrying for his father had level 4 most cancers.
“My brother said, ‘I know you’re going to fail — prove us incorrect’; however, he intended it as a way of motivation,” Mr. Taskun said. His new-determined plumbing abilities helped him enhance the right of entry to smooth water in Cambodia, as a great deal of its water delivers has been contaminated. “What is the distinction between a First World united states of America and a Third World u. S .? Clean water,” he stated.
“Water is lifestyles — without plumbers, there are no showers, and without showers, the whole family gets ill. Doctors deal with symptoms; however, plumbers without a doubt prevent illness — in case you’ve got easy water and a sewerage gadget, 80 according to cent of sicknesses leave.” Mr. Taskun, now 40, resigned from the charity around 18 months ago, and it is now controlled with the aid of others.