Marie said she has been keeping the baby and parents in her thoughts since then, although she had not met them since.

However, the girl’s mother, Lidawati Zakaria, had contacted her a few days ago.

“She told me that the baby I helped deliver was their first daughter,” Marie said. “Their other four children are boys. Lidawati then sent me a picture of her daughter who looked well and so adorable,” Marie said, joyfully.

“On this special day (Thaipusam) that the baby was born, I will be doing my usual prayers but also a special pooja (to bless the child) with good health,” she told FMT.

A “pooja” is a Hindu ritual to honour and worship the deities on behalf of oneself or others to attain blessings in the form of prosperity, success, peace and health.

Marie and her daughter Naroshinii Annaselam were on their way to the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Batu Caves last year when Naroshinii noticed Ismaidi Ismail in distress behind the steering wheel of his pickup truck.

Upon further inspection, she found that Lidawati was semi-conscious and exhausted in mid-delivery, with the baby halfway out.

Marie and her daughter reacted instinctively, with Naroshinii taking off her kurti top to help deliver the baby. Other Thaipusam devotees also ran to their aid using their garments to cover the windows of Ismaidi’s truck, protecting mother and child from the searing heat.

The account of the incident went viral, with social media users saying the devotees’ actions were reflective of the harmony and unity among Malaysia’s diverse people.

Asked what she would have changed if she had the chance, Marie said she wished she could have held the baby in her arms longer. She explained that she did not hold the baby because it was important for the baby to feel its mother’s touch.

“(That day) was a memorable experience and I am happy that this happened on such a joyous occasion,” she said.