Depressed about a $1.5 million debt and a failed relationship, a 29-year-old man was planning to end his life in August last year.
His car workshop business had gone downhill, he had chalked up massive debts from gambling and his fiancee had called off their wedding and left him.
The day before John (not his real name) was set to end it all, his friend sent him a story of Delane Lim in The Straits Times' Generation Grit series.
John, who is a Christian, said: "Reading Delane's story was like a wake-up call to stop all the nonsense suicidal thoughts I was struggling with."
He found Mr Lim's e-mail address on the Internet and wrote to him. Mr Lim called John and spent four hours listening to him and talking him out of suicide.
"Delane encouraged me and gave me ideas on how to repay my debts, instead of running away from it all. He's very willing to help and he's a very warm-hearted man," said John.
As for Mr Lim, he is now executive director of Character and Leadership Academy, which he started in 2013 after he was pulled back from the brink of suicide. The charity trains students on how to spot signs of depression in their peers and help them, among other things.
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