The Encore by Charity Tillemann-Dick Donate Life #MyEncore Challenge & GIVEAWAY @atriabooks @charitytd
The Encoreby Charity Tillemann-Dick
Atria Books
I'm thrilled to be a part of this amazing challenge and ask that you take part in it as well!
First - read about the true story below.
Second - continue on to read about the challenge and take part in something that could not only be life changing for you, but for others as well. ❣
Third - see how you could win this beautiful copy and your own pair of opera gloves.
The remarkable true story of acclaimed opera singer Charity Tillemann-Dick, who received not one but two double lung transplants and went from struggling to draw a single breath to singing at the most prestigious venues in the world.
Charity Tillemann-Dick was a vivacious young American soprano studying at the celebrated Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest when she received devastating news: her lungs were failing, her heart was three and a half sizes too big, and she would die within five years. Inexplicably, despite her fatal pulmonary condition, she could still sing. Medical experts advised Charity to abandon her musical dreams, but if her time was running out, she wanted to spend it doing what she loved.
In just three years, she endured two double lung transplants. Teetering between life and death, she slowly learned to breathe, walk, talk, eat, and sing again. With new lungs and fierce determination, she eventually fell in love, rebuilt her career, and reclaimed her life. Over a decade after her diagnosis, she has a chart-topping album, performs around the globe, and is a leading voice for organ donation.
Weaving Charity’s extraordinary tale of triumph with those of opera's greatest heroines, The Encore illuminates the indomitable human spirit. It's the story of confronting devastating challenges with love: the intimate love of a mother for her daughter, a man for a woman, a doctor for her craft, and a singer for her music. Ultimately, grace from God and strangers enabled the work of love to save one young woman's breath and allowed her to reclaim her life.
Charity Tillemann-Dick was a vivacious young American soprano studying at the celebrated Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest when she received devastating news: her lungs were failing, her heart was three and a half sizes too big, and she would die within five years. Inexplicably, despite her fatal pulmonary condition, she could still sing. Medical experts advised Charity to abandon her musical dreams, but if her time was running out, she wanted to spend it doing what she loved.
In just three years, she endured two double lung transplants. Teetering between life and death, she slowly learned to breathe, walk, talk, eat, and sing again. With new lungs and fierce determination, she eventually fell in love, rebuilt her career, and reclaimed her life. Over a decade after her diagnosis, she has a chart-topping album, performs around the globe, and is a leading voice for organ donation.
Weaving Charity’s extraordinary tale of triumph with those of opera's greatest heroines, The Encore illuminates the indomitable human spirit. It's the story of confronting devastating challenges with love: the intimate love of a mother for her daughter, a man for a woman, a doctor for her craft, and a singer for her music. Ultimately, grace from God and strangers enabled the work of love to save one young woman's breath and allowed her to reclaim her life.
The Donate Life #MyEncore Challenge
The Donate Life #MyEncore Challenge will engage national and local community partnerships and events to bring attention from The Encore to the amazing encores - second chances at life - taking place every day in communities across America, and to empower individuals to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor and give an encore to the 117,000 people waiting for a second chance at life.
The Donate Life #MyEncore Challenge consists of three parts:
- REGISTER as an organ donor at www.DonateLife.net/MyEncore
- SHARE a story of your own second chance on Facebook and Instagram in a video or post.
- TAG five friends and CHALLENGE them to do the same.
In The Encore, Charity describes an encore as, "standing triumphant, then bowing in gratitude." The Donate Life #MyEncore Challenge will invite individuals sharing their story to share a photo of their arms in the air or taking a bow - and/or wearing opera gloves (or whatever gloves they have - doctor, nurse, baseball, riding, winter!) Group photos including all who made LIFE possible for the recipient are also encouraged - the full ensemble cast taking the encore bow!
Currently 117,000 people are waiting for their transplant, waiting for their encore. On average, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time. That is almost one person dying every hour, and 8,000 every year. You can help. Registering your decision to become a donor is the most effective way to save lives through donation, and is a sign of hope and support to those who continue to wait. Sharing the encore of those who "stand triumphant, then bow in gratitude," uses the power of storytelling to bring attention to the cause of donation and to save and heal lives.
**Data taken from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of September 12, 2017.
My Encore
Growing up all over the world as a military kid, I've made countless mistakes. You tend to think you can't forge life long friendships because you're going to have to move eventually anyway. Sometimes you become cold and listless and just plain mean... and then end up stationed back at the same place and have to face those people again. It's their kindness, even as kids, that make you realize we are all resilient and understanding if you just remember to sincerely apologize and they're willing to forgive. I learned my lesson early in life and while I certainly still have my moments, I try to pay it forward by always giving the kind word and being nice to the new kid - in whatever situation that comes to. Getting a thank you from someone who remembers you years later is worth it all. Always. I'm thankful for all the second chances I've had in life and for those I have given.
GIVEAWAY!
If you've read all of this and have made it this far, you're a peach!
To win your copy of this book, simply put this on your platform somewhere and let me know about it!
Whether it's reposting my Instagram post on your page with #MyEncoreWTRG and your own encore story (it can be as simple as a single sentence), linking me to your blog/facebook/twitter posting of the same. Keep this up until 10/6/17 midnight and I'll choose a winner on 10/7/17.
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