She couldn't cope with dad's death
In August 2009, Ms Jen Tan's father was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer.
The following month, he died - but not because he had succumbed to the disease.
The 74-year-old jumped out the window of his 26th-floor HDB flat.
Ms Tan, a 40-year-old clinic assistant, told TNP: "That day, my mother called me to tell me that my dad was nowhere in the flat.
"Then she said the window grilles were unlocked. I was in a state of shock.
"I immediately hung up and called her back later, telling her I didn't believe her."
Ms Tan, who has four older brothers, was unable to cope with their father's suicide and sank into depression soon after.
"Before his cancer diagnosis, he suffered from tuberculosis," she said.
"I was the one who always took him for his medical appointments.
"We would talk on the phone every single day. If I forgot to call him, he would call me for a chat and it would brighten up his day."
BURDEN
The mother of a 15-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy added: "After the operation on his gallbladder, he told me that he didn't want to be a burden to us.
"I reminded him that it's our responsibility as children to take care of him and all he had to do was remain hopeful.
"After his death, I cried every single day for a year whenever I was alone. I could not even stop tearing when I was on the public bus.
"At home, I had to hold back my tears to put on a brave front for my mother."
Her mother moved in with Ms Tan and her family after the incident.
Ms Tan said she is grateful to her husband of 19 years for helping her get back on her feet.
"If I win the Mrs Singapore title, I will use this platform to help people who are undergoing depression," she said.
"It's very important that people speak out when they are troubled.
"Had we known of my father's troubles, perhaps he would still be alive today."
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