catlover79
05-26-2010, 01:16 AM
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-opera-singer-txt,0,3752698.story
Todd Meany Staff Writer
3:48 PM EDT, May 25, 2010
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A world renowned opera singer is performing for the first time since her double lung transplant. 26-year-old Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick developed a condition called Pulmonary Hypertension, which significantly slowed down her blossoming Opera career.
In September of 2009, her condition got so bad that she was brought to the Cleveland Clinic.
"She arrived just in time for us to do the operation, so the timing was very tight. We took her straight to the operating room," explained Doctor Kenneth McMurray of the Cleveland Clinic.
A double lung transplant was performed on Charity, and she survived the operation, but would she ever sing again.
"I had to re-learn how to breathe, how to walk, how to talk, it's unbelievable to me now there are so many things that we take for granted everyday, that really are miracles. I had a machine that was breathing for me," said Charity Sunshine Tilleman-Dick.
Eight months later, Charity is going to perform publicly for the first time since her operation. She will be singing at the 2010 Patient Experience Summit at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday.
"It's good to be here to sing as opposed to get surgery," explained Tilleman-Dick.
She's still not 100 percent, and will only perform a short piece from Puccini at the event. Charity hopes to continue to build up her strength and continue performing later this year.
Todd Meany Staff Writer
3:48 PM EDT, May 25, 2010
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A world renowned opera singer is performing for the first time since her double lung transplant. 26-year-old Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick developed a condition called Pulmonary Hypertension, which significantly slowed down her blossoming Opera career.
In September of 2009, her condition got so bad that she was brought to the Cleveland Clinic.
"She arrived just in time for us to do the operation, so the timing was very tight. We took her straight to the operating room," explained Doctor Kenneth McMurray of the Cleveland Clinic.
A double lung transplant was performed on Charity, and she survived the operation, but would she ever sing again.
"I had to re-learn how to breathe, how to walk, how to talk, it's unbelievable to me now there are so many things that we take for granted everyday, that really are miracles. I had a machine that was breathing for me," said Charity Sunshine Tilleman-Dick.
Eight months later, Charity is going to perform publicly for the first time since her operation. She will be singing at the 2010 Patient Experience Summit at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday.
"It's good to be here to sing as opposed to get surgery," explained Tilleman-Dick.
She's still not 100 percent, and will only perform a short piece from Puccini at the event. Charity hopes to continue to build up her strength and continue performing later this year.