S'pore teacher, 50, dies from infection after suffering wound from clipping nails, tributes pour in

A Singaporean woman who was on the road to recovery from stage four colorectal cancer died suddenly after sustaining a wound while clipping her nails.

The injury resulted in a bacterial infection, then organ failure, leading to her death.

Was on the road to recovery

Jacqueline Lim, 50, was diagnosed with cancer in October 2025, her mother told Shin Min Daily News during Lim's funeral on Apr. 15.

The cancer had already spread to her spine by the time it was discovered, resulting in her being unable to walk and needing to be fed at times.

Lim's husband also told the media that his wife did not have any obvious symptoms before her diagnosis, besides being more easily tired and out of breath.

Upon being diagnosed, Lim was hospitalised for more than two months while she underwent chemotherapy, which saw her condition gradually improve.

She also regained her mobility and was eventually able to walk slowly with a walking stick.

Sudden death

Some time during the week of Apr. 6, Lim accidentally injured herself while clipping her nails.

She later developed a fever and was taken to the hospital, where it was found that the wound had led to a bacterial infection.

She began showing concerning symptoms, including numbness in her mouth, drooping eyelids and drowsiness.

At about 3am on Apr. 13, Lim's heart stopped suddenly, Shin Min reported.

Nurses rushed to perform CPR and were able to revive her, but doctors said that her organs had failed due to a prolonged lack of oxygen. 

She was kept alive with machines for more than 10 hours while relatives and friends came to pay their last respects.

Lim's mother told her dying daughter, "I will take good care of myself, so don't worry."

"From now on, I will spend my life in remembrance, with memories and longing. There is no choice, this is fate," the elderly woman told reporters.

Beloved teacher

Lim was an English and Mathematics teacher at White Sands Primary School, and was known as "Mrs Bay".

According to the school's website, she was also part of the student management team as of February 2025.

The school commemorated her passing in a Facebook post on Apr. 15.

"Mrs Bay was a cherished member of our school family. She will be deeply missed by students, staff, and parents alike," the post read.

"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with her family and all who knew her."

"The best teacher any student could wish for"

A Padlet board was also set up to allow the school's community to share messages of condolences to Lim's family.

Most contributors appeared to be Lim's past students, who referred to their former teacher as "exceptional", "kind" and "like a second mother".

"I wish I could relive P5 and P6 just to see her one last time," one former student wrote. "She would say "You can do this" or "Don't give up". She is actually the best teacher any student could wish for." 

Another former student wrote that Lim was "more than just a math teacher to me–she was someone who truly cared".

"She never gave up on me even when I felt like giving up on myself."

Parents of Lim's students also chimed in.

One said she was "more than just a teacher" to her student, but was also "a guiding light, a source of comfort, and someone who truly cared".

"You helped shape not just her learning, but her confidence and character, and for that, we will always be grateful."

Lim's mother told the media that her daughter devoted her life to teaching.

According to her, Lim had wanted to be an educator since her youth, even mimicking teaching in a classroom as a child.

As a teacher, she treated her students like her own children, said the elder woman.

Lim would also buy stationery and bless them in a temple before handing them out to her students before the PSLE examinations, she said.

Many past students reportedly paid their final respects to their former teacher at the wake.

She was "a good daughter, daughter-in-law and teacher," Lim's mother said, adding that despite her short life, her daughter likely had no regrets.

Top images via Padlet & Shin Min