Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick

Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick was an American soprano and presenter. A recipient of two bilateral (double) lung transplants, she spoke and performed frequently at concerts, conferences and events around the United States.

Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick
Born
Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick

(1983-07-22)July 22, 1983
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 2019(2019-04-23) (aged 35)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
EducationRegis University (BA)
Johns Hopkins University (MM)
Occupations
  • Opera singer
  • presenter
Years active1993–2019
Spouse
Yonatan Doron
​
(m. 2012)​

Early life

Tillemann-Dick was born in Denver, Colorado, the fifth of eleven children, including siblings, diplomat and technologist Tomicah Tillemann and author Levi Tillemann.[1] She received a bachelor's degree with high honors from Regis University and studied music at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where she was also a Fulbright scholar.[2]

Music

A full lyric coloratura soprano, Tillemann-Dick performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia in venues as diverse as The Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City; The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio; The National Symphony Hall in Budapest, Hungary; the American Embassy in Beijing, China; and the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. She collaborated or performed with noted conductors and musicians including Bruno Rigacci, Joella Jones, Marvin Hamlisch, Bono, Zoltán Kocsis, Joan Dornemann, Éva Marton, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.[3][4] Some of her opera roles included Titania in A Midsummer's Night Dream, Gilda in Rigoletto, and Violetta in La traviata.

Tillemann-Dick performed for numerous presidents, prime ministers, members of Congress and world dignitaries.[5]

Health and advocacy

After receiving a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension in 2004, Tillemann-Dick served as the national spokesperson for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. In December 2005, she testified about pulmonary hypertension before the U.S. Congress' Committee on Energy and Commerce.[6]

In September 2009, Tillemann-Dick underwent a double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. Just eight months later, she performed before the doctors, nurses, and support staff at the Clinic.[7][8][9][10]

Tillemann-Dick then became a vocal advocate for organ donation and transplantation research in the United States. After complications from rejection, she received a second double lung transplant in January 2012.

Presenting

After receiving her transplant, Tillemann-Dick presented at numerous conferences and events, including the Chicago Ideas Week, TEDMED,[11][12] TEDxMidAtlantic;[13] and the 6th Annual National Conference on Organ Donation. She was a frequent presenter and performer for corporate events, nonprofits and associations, and civic organizations, and was featured on the CBS Morning Show,[14] CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta,[15] TED.com,[16] The Washington Post[17] and BBC Radio.[18]

Personal life

Tillemann-Dick was the maternal granddaughter of Annette (Tillemann) and Congressman Tom Lantos, the former Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Her paternal grandmother, Nancy E. Dick, was the first female Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. On April 10, 2008, Tillemann-Dick's father, Timber Dick, a successful inventor and businessman from Denver, died from injuries received in a car accident.[19]

She was married to Yonatan Doron; they lived in Baltimore, Maryland.[20]

Tillemann-Dick was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[21]

Death

In August 2018, she announced that she had cancer.[22] On April 23, 2019, Tillemann-Dick died at the age of 35, from cancer triggered by long-term immunosuppression from the transplants.[23][2]

Bibliography
  • Tillemann-Dick, Charity (2017). The Encore: A Memoir in Three Acts. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1501102318.

References
  1. Denver's Own Royal Tenenbaums - Page 1 Archived June 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, - Westword.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  2. Langer, Emily (April 24, 2019). "Charity Tillemann-Dick, operatic soprano who drew life and music from transplanted lungs, dies at 35". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  3. Profile, timesonline.co.uk; accessed November 9, 2014.
  4. Epstein, Edward; Writer, Chronicle Staff (June 12, 2005). "Secretary of state takes stage for Lantos' granddaughter / Rice accompanies young soprano battling rare disease". SFGate. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  5. Ron Agam (September 30, 2008). "President Sarkozy diner Appeal of Conscience Foundation". Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2013 – via YouTube.
  6. Testimony before U.S. Congress Archived April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, ftp.resource.org/gpo.gov; accessed November 8, 2014.
  7. Double-lung transplant patient to perform opera at Cleveland Clinic summit (video) Archived May 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, cleveland.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  8. "Young opera singer diagnosed with life-threatening lung disorder sings for her doctors" Archived November 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, newsnet5.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  9. Profile Archived May 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, fox8.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  10. "Soprano serenades doctors after lung transplant" Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, CNN.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  11. Soprano Charity Tillemann-Dick Gets Lung Transplant Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, ABCNews.go.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  12. TEDMED: Soprano and Double-Lung Transplant Recipient Charity Tillemann-Dick - Health Blog Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, WSJ.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  13. TEDxMidAtlantic profile Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine; accessed November 9, 2014.
  14. "Woman sings anew after 2nd double lung transplant" Archived October 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, CBSNews.com; accessed November 8, 2014.
  15. "A Tale of Two Transplants" Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, thechart.blogs.cnn.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  16. "Charity Tillemann-Dick singing after a double lung transplant" Archived January 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, ted.com; accessed November 9, 2014.
  17. "Singing opera with someone else's lungs" Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, washingtonpost.com, May 24, 2013; accessed November 9, 2014.
  18. Soprano Who Had Two Lung Transplants - Outlook Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine at BBC World Service
  19. "Denver inventor Timber Dick dies after crash" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Denver Post; accessed November 9, 2014.
  20. "Charity 'Sunshine' Tillemann-Dick: Opera singer with transplanted lungs dies". BBC News. April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  21. "Mormons don't eat meat?" Archived August 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, getreligion.org, July 2009; accessed November 9, 2014.
  22. "Opera Singer Battles Cancer after 2 Double Lung Transplants". Cleveland Clinic. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  23. "Opera singer with transplanted lungs dies". BBC News. April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
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