When her domestic helper was hospitalised for a month after a surgery in 2011, Mdm Catherine Goh visited her daily and consulted doctors to ensure there were no complications.

And nowadays, Mdm Goh invites her helper Kanthi Panditha, who is in her 50s and hails from Sri Lanka, to join her for regular exercises at the Botanic Gardens.

Mdm Goh’s care for Ms Kanthi won her the Foreign Domestic Worker Employer of the Year award, presented yesterday at the 7th annual Foreign Domestic Workers Day.

“I’m quite surprised because I didn’t do anything heroic or dramatic ... Respect and care are things all of us can do. There are many good employers out there, and I just happen to be nominated,” said Mdm Goh, who is in her 60s.

Ms Kanthi, who has served in Mdm Goh’s household for 22 years and nominated her, said she appreciated her employer’s companionship and sincerity: “She remembers my birthday and celebrates it ... It means a lot that she considers it a special occasion.”

“We really see (Kanthi) as a member of our family because ... we’re all fellow human beings,” said Mdm Goh, who paid for Ms Kanthi’s son to spend two weeks here with his mother several years ago.

Over at the Wee household, Ms Sumirah Harjo Sumarto, 59, has also been a part of her employer’s family for over two decades.

The Indonesian, who was named the first runner-up as Foreign Domestic Worker of the Year, has served as a “mentor” to younger domestic helpers in the neighbourhood and as a pillar of support for Mr Richard Wee’s three daughters, who nominated her.

Second daughter Clarice, 31, said: “We thought it was the best way to show our appreciation for the hard work and sacrifices she has made ... She has not been with her own family and did not see her grandchildren when they were born.”

So strong is the bond forged between Ms Sumirah and her employer’s family that both families went on holiday together in Bali in 2007. KELLY NG