"Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race..."
There's nothing in 14-year-old Peneakchanasak Nitcharee's smile or the bright, eager gleam in her eyes that hints at the horror she went through recently.
On April 3, Nitcharee, who hails from Trang in southern Thailand, lost both her legs when she fell on the tracks at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. (See story below.)
An oncoming train hit her, severing one of her legs on the spot.
Her other leg was so badly crushed that it had to be amputated at the hospital soon after.
But instead of losing hope, Nitcharee, a past contestant on Academy Fantasia, a Thai reality TV singing competition, sings about love and about making the world a better place from her hospital bed.
The brave teenager smiled as she wiggled the stumps of her legs and said: "I like this song. I like the meaning of the words."
The pain has subsided, but the stumps of her legs are itchy, she said, making a face.
It's almost two months since the accident, and she has learnt how to move around in a wheelchair.
"I didn't have any problems in the wheelchair. I can shower by myself, I can go to the toilet by myself.
"I tell the nurse to go away, go away, because I'm shy," she said with a smile.
Her pride at her independence despite the sudden disability is evident.
Her day starts at 8am, as she does physiotherapy exercises with her father, Mr Kittanesh Peneakchanasak, who's 56.
The teenager is conscious about how large her biceps are getting.
"My arms are getting so big because of the exercises," she lamented.
"But it's okay. It's good for me," she said quickly.
Mr Peneakchanasak, an insurance salesman, swelled with pride as he said in Thai, which his elder daughter, Thunravee, 20, translated: "She's very positive. She's very kind. She is continuing with her life and she's not giving up.
"She cried only a little bit."
Mr Peneakchanasak and Thunravee spent all day with Nitcharee in the single-bed room that was filled with soft toys, flowers and laughter.
During the day, Nitcharee reads, chats with her friends on the Internet, checks her Facebook account and does online learning.
She and her sister also record videos of themselves singing, watch movies together and play Wii computer games to help her strengthen her arms.
Thunravee, who is pursuing a major in business administration at Assumption University in Bangkok, is in Singapore on a two-week school break and has been helping Nitcharee with her studies. She will be returning to Bangkok on Sunday.
Nitcharee said wistfully: "My friends have started the new semester in Secondary 3. They are waiting for me to go back."
She has made new friends here, though.
The nurses' faces light up with smiles when she passes them in her wheelchair and waves to them. Some even hug her.
She said: "I like the people. They are the best part of my stay here."
Although she cannot leave the hospital, Nitcharee has been finding ways to spice up her stay.
She said with a cheeky smile: "I went for a midnight party on the fifth floor ward.
There was a lot of food! It was organised by one of my friends in the hospital."
She is looking forward to another party on June 16, her birthday.
She isn't sure when she can be discharged, but said that the doctor has shown her some prosthetic legs that she will be fitted with.
Dr Wong Ho Poh, senior consultant in the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said that Nitcharee's wounds have healed.
He said: "Right now, our physiotherapists are working with her to strengthen her leg muscles. This process, which can take one to two months, is necessary to help condition her for an artificial limb. She is also seen by a prosthetist, who is working with her to fit her with a suitable set of artificial limbs."
One of the first things Nitcharee wants to do after she is discharged is to go around sightseeing here.
"With my new legs, I can walk as well as others! I want to go to Universal Studios, Sentosa, Somerset, Orchard Road, Bugis Junction...
"My family, my friends and my nurses, everyone must go to Universal Studios together," she said as she rolls on her bed in excitement.
She is also looking forward to eating her favourite food when she can finally return home.
"Tom yum goong, pad thai, sukiyaki..." she said, smacking her lips. "I want to sightsee and go home to eat my favourite food, so I will exercise hard and get well soon," she said.
Below is Nitcharee's account of her tragic accident in her own words. She refers to herself as Nong Tan, which is her family nickname.
ON Sunday, April 3, 2011, Nong Tan woke up at around 7am.
After her routine, she had breakfast, surfed the Internet, listened to music and watched a movie.
She was waiting to return home as that Sunday was her last week in Singapore. Her house is at 99, Rajdamnern Street, Amphur Muang Trang, Thailand.
Nong Tan had an appointment to meet her friends at noon at City Hall. They planned to hang out together. At about 10.40am, she left her flat at 503, Ang Mo Kio, heading to the MRT train station.
When she arrived at the station, there were not many people. She stood behind the line for passengers. After that, there were lots of people coming and there were officers keeping an eye on the ones who might go beyond the fixed line.
Suddenly, Nong Tan felt like she was pushed or drawn down until she fell on the rail exactly at the time when the train was coming.
She was run over on both of her legs. Her body was lying beside the rail while her right leg was on the rail...
Her face felt hot and it was wounded and bloody.
The train stopped immediately, but it ran over her legs. The bones of her legs were badly broken and there was only some skin and flesh left.
She felt numb, and when she thought that the train might continue, she tried to move both of her damaged legs out of the rail near the platform.
She looked up and cried and cried for help.
While she was lying there, she took out her cell phone from the pocket of her pants.
Called host family
She called her host family, but they speak only Mandarin and Teochew , so no one understood her.
After that there was a call from the host's sister who can speak English. Nong Tan then told her about the accident.
At the same time, the rescue workers came and helped her onto a stretcher.
Some of them covered her nose with an oxygen mask, but it was loose. She then held it with her hand.
Someone called her on her cell phone so she asked the rescue worker to answer it. When Nong Tan was carried on the stretcher to the elevator, unfortunately, the stretcher was too long to fit into it.
Later, Nong Tan was carried up using the escalator instead.
After that, she was in an ambulance with two or three people. There was a woman, maybe a nurse, asking Nong Tan whether she was hurt or not.
Nong Tan nodded her head to show that she was hurt until they reached the hospital. She was taken to the Emergency and Operation Room.
Nong Tan saw many doctors who came to see her. One of them told her that her legs were going to be cut off. After she nodded her head, she was unconscious.
Nong Tan would like to thank all of the rescue workers who saved her life and she would like to see all of them.
She would like to hug and thank them herself. Her special thanks also go to all of the doctors, officers, nurses and all who got involved in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
She has received good care in this hospital until now.
