Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick facts for kids

Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick was an amazing American singer and speaker. She was a soprano, which is a high female singing voice. Charity had two double lung transplants. Because of her health journey, she often spoke and performed at events across the United States.

Early Life and Education

Charity Tillemann-Dick was born in Denver, Colorado, on July 22, 1983. She was the fifth of eleven children in her family. Her siblings included Tomicah Tillemann, a diplomat, and Levi Tillemann, an author.

Charity went to Regis University and earned a bachelor's degree with high honors. She also studied music at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Later, she continued her music studies in Budapest, Hungary, at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. She was even a Fulbright scholar there, which is a special award for students to study abroad.

Her Music Career

Charity Tillemann-Dick was a full lyric coloratura soprano. This means she had a powerful, flexible voice that could sing very high notes. She performed all over the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Some famous places she sang include The Rose Theater in New York City and The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She also performed in Budapest, Hungary, and at the American Embassy in Beijing, China. She even sang in the National Statuary Hall inside the United States Capitol building.

Charity worked with many famous musicians and conductors. These included Marvin Hamlisch, Bono, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She played important roles in operas like Titania in A Midsummer's Night Dream and Violetta in La traviata. Charity performed for many presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders.

Health Challenges and Advocacy

In 2004, Charity was diagnosed with a serious lung condition called idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. This condition makes it hard for blood to flow through the lungs. After her diagnosis, she became a national spokesperson for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. In 2005, she even spoke to the U.S. Congress about this illness.

In September 2009, Charity had her first double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. Just eight months later, she performed for the doctors and nurses who helped her.

Charity then became a strong supporter of organ donation and research. She believed it was important for people to donate organs to save lives. After some complications, she received a second double lung transplant in January 2012.

Public Speaking and Media

After her transplants, Charity became a frequent speaker at many conferences and events. She spoke at places like Chicago Ideas Week and TEDMED. She also appeared on TV shows like the CBS Morning Show and CNN. Her story was also featured in The Washington Post and on BBC Radio. She shared her experiences to inspire others and raise awareness about organ donation.

Personal Life

Charity Tillemann-Dick came from a family with a history of public service. Her grandfather, Tom Lantos, was a U.S. Congressman. He was the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Her grandmother, Nancy E. Dick, was the first female Lieutenant Governor of Colorado.

Charity was married to Yonatan Doron. They lived in Baltimore, Maryland. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Her Passing

In August 2018, Charity announced that she had cancer. On April 23, 2019, she passed away at the age of 35. Her cancer was caused by the long-term use of medicines that weaken the immune system, which she needed after her transplants.