'My parents cried after seeing what I've become': Mr World Singapore finalist opens up about surviving 4-storey fall

It's been nearly five years since Aaron Tan survived a four-storey fall, but the pain he suffered from the accident remains fresh in his mind.

Nevertheless, the Penang-born entrepreneur and winner of the Mr Grand International category at last December's Mr World Singapore tells AsiaOne he's "happy" it happened.  

Reeling from his divorce at the time, Aaron, 35, confesses that he found solace in alcohol. Things got out of hand one night in July 2017, and he drunkenly fell from the balcony of his Kovan condominium.

"The first thing I thought was, 'Oh my God, will I die?'"Aaron recounts. "I felt very down and useless at that time."

After the accident, Aaron, a hairdresser by trade and owner of a salon chain, says he went through multiple operations on his spine and legs and received over 160 doses of morphine to cope with the excruciating pain. 

But there was no medicine that could treat the heartache he had caused his loved ones.

"When my parents flew from Penang to visit me in hospital, they were hurt when they saw me in pain. They cried after they saw what I've become," he says regretfully.

The accident became a turning point in his life, giving him the motivation to be the best version of himself.

"I feel that the pain is useful in my life. It made me realise that I've to do the best every second [and] every moment."

'People gave me so much love' 

It was a long and agonising recuperation process — Aaron was bedridden in the hospital for two months, and spent some eight months relearning how to walk. 

After his operations, even lifting his leg was difficult as there was "totally no feeling". 

"To be honest, I felt like I was in a lonely world," Aaron adds. "I had to force myself to stand up."

Reflecting on his recovery journey, Aaron credits his doctors and "kind-hearted" Singaporeans for spurring him on.

Aaron said: "I remember those times when the doctors [would] say, 'You are very amazing. You fell from the fourth floor, but you didn't die.' These positive words helped me a lot.

And even in the times when he was still having trouble getting around and would take an achingly long time to cross the road — sometimes up to three minutes — people were still patient. 

"Singaporeans are the best. They didn't make me feel like I'm handicapped," He says. "I felt that people gave me so much love at that time."

Discovering his passion for charity work

Despite making a full recovery, Aaron never forgot what it was like to be confined to his wheelchair. With a renewed purpose in life — to give back to society and help the needy — he founded his own non-profit organisation in 2017, International Nanyang Elegance Cheongsam Culture Society (also known as Giving Hope).

Besides spending his time running his hair salon chain, working out in the gym and doing karate, Aaron shares that his weekly schedule also includes visits to Chinatown and Bugis to provide packed meals and face masks for the elderly there.

He explains, "I feel happy doing charity work. If I die one day, I would feel like I didn't waste any time."

He recalls visiting a family of seven in Hougang who were living in a flat with no rooms or beds. 

"When I gave a mattress to them, the mother started crying while saying 'Thank you God, thank you Allah.'

"I felt a different kind of pain. I was also crying at that time."

He also donates regularly to charities such as St John Singapore and even wrote Sian Chay Medical Institution a $300,000 cheque last February.

Besides helping the needy with their daily essentials, another cause that Aaron is passionate about is education. 

Despite dropping out of school in Malaysia when he was 14 due to his "playful" nature, Aaron says he's grateful to his parents for giving him the chance to continue studying at home while he picked up hairdressing.

With the platform his gain from participating in Mr World Singapore, Aaron shares that he wants to shine the spotlight on children in Southeast Asia who cannot afford to go to school.

"I want to let everyone know that Singapore is not only rich, but there are also a lot of people who are kind-hearted and are sharing love with the world."

chingshijie@asiaone.com