A mother's love: Woman joins beauty pageant in honour of daughter who died at age 8

Some people join beauty pageants to build confidence, while others do so because they love the adrenaline rush from a competition. 

But for Jas Nga Cheau Ling, 40, she wanted to participate to honour her daughter, who passed away a year ago. 

In November 2021, her daughter, who was then seven years old, suddenly developed unknown bruises on her body, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

After getting checked at the hospital, it was discovered that the child's bone marrow was unable to produce platelets normally. 

She was later diagnosed with a rare medical condition that was not revealed and urgently needed a bone marrow transplant. 

"We have no family history of hereditary disease, and our daughter has always been healthy. We didn't expect that the situation would suddenly be so serious.

"She needed platelet transfusions every week, and took 12 kinds of medicines in the morning and evening, on top of taking insulin. But she was always strong and always took the medicine," Jas shared with the Chinese daily. 

In May 2022, the child underwent chemotherapy and electrotherapy, as well as receiving a bone marrow transplant from her father. 

However, at the end of September last year, her condition worsened, causing her kidney and lungs to fail. 

So, she had to rely on machines to help her breathe. 

But in November, the doctor recommended Jas and her husband to turn off the respirator. 

"Seeing that it was getting harder and harder for our daughter, we made the painful decision," said Jas. 

Her daughter passed away on Nov 2, 2022. She was just eight years old. 

A workaholic who didn't spend much time with her children 

Before her daughter fell sick, Jas, who works as a beautician, admitted to being a workaholic. 

As she was passionate about her job, she often worked overtime. 

Her husband was the one who mostly took care of their three kids. 

But when her daughter fell sick, Jas realised that no amount of money could ever buy family love and that life was short, so one should cherish the present moment, she told Shin Min Daily News. 

When she found about her daughter's medical condition, Jas reduced her workload to care for her child. 

And after her daughter died, she decided to work part-time so she could spend more time with her remaining two children. 

Joining a beauty pageant in her daughter's memory 

When she was still alive, Jas' daughter loved to perform and be on stage. 

So, when her friend told her about the Mrs Singapore Chinatown 2023 beauty pageant, she decided to participate in it to honour her daughter. 

The pageant involved a talent competition, which was held on Dec 9, as well as a culinary challenge, which was on Dec 10. 

The contestants also paid a visit to the Metta Home for Disabled, among other activities. 

The grand finals of the competition will be held today (Dec 16) at 7pm. 

"My daughter has loved to look pretty since she was a child, and she liked to sing and dance too. I want to tell everyone her story," Jas told the Chinese daily. 

 

 

 

 

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While she had accompanied her daughter when she was in and out of hospital, Jas saw many other children like hers, who were suffering from diseases. 

So, she hopes to use the beauty pageant to raise funds for Club Rainbow Singapore, a non-profit organisation that supports children with chronic illnesses. 

"She was a well-behaved, sensible and well-loved child. I am proud of her. I hope to contribute to children with rare diseases, as well as volunteer in hospitals to help other children and families in the future." 

AsiaOne has reached out to Jas for more details. 

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melissateo@asiaone.com