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| Charity 'Sunshine' Tillemann-Dick: Opera singer with transplanted lungs dies | Charity 'Sunshine' Tillemann-Dick: Opera singer with transplanted lungs dies |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Charity "Sunshine" Tillemann-Dick, a venerated American opera singer who survived two double lung transplants, has died at age 35. | Charity "Sunshine" Tillemann-Dick, a venerated American opera singer who survived two double lung transplants, has died at age 35. |
| Tillemann-Dick was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2004, forcing her to undergo two emergency lung transplants needed to save her life. | Tillemann-Dick was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2004, forcing her to undergo two emergency lung transplants needed to save her life. |
| Despite her illness Tillemann-Dick pursued a renowned career, performing her soprano work across the world. | |
| Her family announced her death on her Facebook page on Wednesday. | Her family announced her death on her Facebook page on Wednesday. |
| "This morning, life's curtain closed on one of its consummate heroines", the post said. | "This morning, life's curtain closed on one of its consummate heroines", the post said. |
| "Our beloved Charity passed peacefully with her husband, mother, and siblings at her side and sunshine on her face." | "Our beloved Charity passed peacefully with her husband, mother, and siblings at her side and sunshine on her face." |
| A cause of death was not immediately clear. | A cause of death was not immediately clear. |
| Tillemann-Dick lived in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband Yonatan Doron. | Tillemann-Dick lived in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband Yonatan Doron. |
| She performed across the US, Europe and Asia. Her opera roles included Titania in A Midsummer's Night Dream, Gilda in Rigoletto and Violetta in La Traviata. | She performed across the US, Europe and Asia. Her opera roles included Titania in A Midsummer's Night Dream, Gilda in Rigoletto and Violetta in La Traviata. |
| The singer took the stage at storied theatres worldwide, including the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York, the John F Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the Palace of the Arts in Budapest. | The singer took the stage at storied theatres worldwide, including the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York, the John F Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the Palace of the Arts in Budapest. |
| Early life | Early life |
| Tillmann-Dick was raised in Denver, Colorado, growing up in a Mormon-Jewish family alongside her 10 siblings. | Tillmann-Dick was raised in Denver, Colorado, growing up in a Mormon-Jewish family alongside her 10 siblings. |
| Though she loved to sing from an early age, cherishing family trips to the symphony and opera, Tillemann-Dick initially thought she might pursue a career in politics. | Though she loved to sing from an early age, cherishing family trips to the symphony and opera, Tillemann-Dick initially thought she might pursue a career in politics. |
| She would be following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor who served as a Democrat in the House of Representatives for almost 30 years, and an older brother, Tomicah Tillemann, who worked as a speech writer for Hillary Clinton. | She would be following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor who served as a Democrat in the House of Representatives for almost 30 years, and an older brother, Tomicah Tillemann, who worked as a speech writer for Hillary Clinton. |
| "That's kind of our family trade I suppose," Tillemann-Dick said of politics in an interview with BBC World Service in 2013. | "That's kind of our family trade I suppose," Tillemann-Dick said of politics in an interview with BBC World Service in 2013. |
| But after graduating from college and spending time on a few political campaigns, she made the choice to return to music. | But after graduating from college and spending time on a few political campaigns, she made the choice to return to music. |
| "I decided I could never forgive myself if I didn't try my hand at music", she told the BBC. | "I decided I could never forgive myself if I didn't try my hand at music", she told the BBC. |
| Tillemann-Dick began an intensive training programme at the renowned Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. | Tillemann-Dick began an intensive training programme at the renowned Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. |
| The diagnosis | The diagnosis |
| At age 20 she was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, a rare disease marked by extreme pressure on the heart with no apparent cause. | At age 20 she was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, a rare disease marked by extreme pressure on the heart with no apparent cause. |
| The condition had caused Tillemann-Dick's heart to swell three and a half times beyond its normal size. | The condition had caused Tillemann-Dick's heart to swell three and a half times beyond its normal size. |
| The diagnosis provided an explanation for her recent fainting spells and shortness of breath, and carried a life expectancy of two to five years. | The diagnosis provided an explanation for her recent fainting spells and shortness of breath, and carried a life expectancy of two to five years. |
| Tillemann-Dick had said that one of her doctors told her she should stop singing for her condition. | Tillemann-Dick had said that one of her doctors told her she should stop singing for her condition. |
| Hoping to avoid a lung transplant, Tillemann-Dick was prescribed Flolan, a liquid medication delivered directly to the heart through a tube in her chest. | Hoping to avoid a lung transplant, Tillemann-Dick was prescribed Flolan, a liquid medication delivered directly to the heart through a tube in her chest. |
| The pump, along with the necessary ice packs and auxiliary equipment, weighed about 4lbs (2kg), Tillemann-Dick told the BBC. | The pump, along with the necessary ice packs and auxiliary equipment, weighed about 4lbs (2kg), Tillemann-Dick told the BBC. |
| Not wanting to draw attention to her condition as she continued to audition and perform, Tillemann-Dick said she would strap her medication to her thigh. | Not wanting to draw attention to her condition as she continued to audition and perform, Tillemann-Dick said she would strap her medication to her thigh. |
| "Sopranos are unpredictable enough, without critical illness," she said, | "Sopranos are unpredictable enough, without critical illness," she said, |
| In 2009, five years after the initial diagnosis, Tillemann-Dick received her first double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. | In 2009, five years after the initial diagnosis, Tillemann-Dick received her first double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. |
| Though the transplant was life-saving, Tilleman-Dick said she was very concerned about the surgery, particularly its impact on her voice. | Though the transplant was life-saving, Tilleman-Dick said she was very concerned about the surgery, particularly its impact on her voice. |
| "I had spent a lifetime training my body and my lungs and my voice to work in sync and I knew I would lose all of that," she told the BBC. | "I had spent a lifetime training my body and my lungs and my voice to work in sync and I knew I would lose all of that," she told the BBC. |
| The brutal surgery put Tillemann-Dick in a coma for over a month, unable to breathe on her own for almost two months. | The brutal surgery put Tillemann-Dick in a coma for over a month, unable to breathe on her own for almost two months. |
| Eating, walking and talking came next before Tillemann-Dick finally tried to sing again. | Eating, walking and talking came next before Tillemann-Dick finally tried to sing again. |
| The first song she tried, she said, was Smile - made famous by Nat King Cole. | The first song she tried, she said, was Smile - made famous by Nat King Cole. |
| A career beset by illness | A career beset by illness |
| The average lung transplant lasts for about five years, but Tillemann-Dick's body began to reject the transplanted organs just months after surgery. | The average lung transplant lasts for about five years, but Tillemann-Dick's body began to reject the transplanted organs just months after surgery. |
| As she awaited another donor match, doctors told her family that Tillemann-Dick was unlikely to survive, according to the Washington Post. | As she awaited another donor match, doctors told her family that Tillemann-Dick was unlikely to survive, according to the Washington Post. |
| But as she waited, Tillemann-Dick continued to sing. | But as she waited, Tillemann-Dick continued to sing. |
| In 2011, still without functioning lungs, she debuted at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater. As she sang, Tilleman-Dick had an oxygen tank and wheelchair waiting in the wings. | In 2011, still without functioning lungs, she debuted at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater. As she sang, Tilleman-Dick had an oxygen tank and wheelchair waiting in the wings. |
| "I could barely breathe but I could still sing", she told the BBC. "It was a miracle." | "I could barely breathe but I could still sing", she told the BBC. "It was a miracle." |
| In January 2012, she underwent her second double-lung transplant, from a middle-aged Honduran American woman. | In January 2012, she underwent her second double-lung transplant, from a middle-aged Honduran American woman. |
| Tillemann-Dick became close friends with her donor's daughter, Esperanza Tufani. | Tillemann-Dick became close friends with her donor's daughter, Esperanza Tufani. |
| Second Act | Second Act |
| Apparently undeterred by her illness, Tillemann-Dick continued to pursue her career, singing with a new pair of lungs. | Apparently undeterred by her illness, Tillemann-Dick continued to pursue her career, singing with a new pair of lungs. |
| Her debut album, American Grace, reached no 1 on Billboard's traditional classical charts upon its release in 2014. | Her debut album, American Grace, reached no 1 on Billboard's traditional classical charts upon its release in 2014. |
| Tillemann-Dick's dedication to music was perhaps matched by her advocacy work. | Tillemann-Dick's dedication to music was perhaps matched by her advocacy work. |
| She was a national spokeswoman for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, working to raise awareness, increase federal research funding and promote preventative medicine. | She was a national spokeswoman for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, working to raise awareness, increase federal research funding and promote preventative medicine. |
| Tillemann-Dick also shared her inspiring story with audiences across the US, including at numerous TED Talks. | Tillemann-Dick also shared her inspiring story with audiences across the US, including at numerous TED Talks. |
| "It was so many miracles that paved this most unexpected of paths", she said to the BBC. | "It was so many miracles that paved this most unexpected of paths", she said to the BBC. |
| In 2015, Tillemann-Dick was confronted with another health problem. | In 2015, Tillemann-Dick was confronted with another health problem. |
| She was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive skin cancer, thought to be a result of the anti-rejection drugs she had taken for her lungs. | She was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive skin cancer, thought to be a result of the anti-rejection drugs she had taken for her lungs. |
| Treatment required chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, including a particular procedure that required cutting a nerve on her face, affecting muscle movement on the right side of her mouth, the Washington Post reported. | Treatment required chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, including a particular procedure that required cutting a nerve on her face, affecting muscle movement on the right side of her mouth, the Washington Post reported. |
| "Life is full of death. Music, full of sorrow", Tillemann-Dick wrote in her 2017 book, The Encore: A Memoir in Three Acts. | "Life is full of death. Music, full of sorrow", Tillemann-Dick wrote in her 2017 book, The Encore: A Memoir in Three Acts. |
| "Great artists have always amplified both." | "Great artists have always amplified both." |