LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE FOR
HER ENCORE, PLEASE WELCOME
CHARITY TILLEMAN-DICK.
*
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> BEAUTIFULLY DONE.
BEAUTIFUL.
PLEASE, SIT.
>> THANK YOU.
DON'T YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEEDED
THAT?
I FEEL LIKE WE NEEDED THAT.
>> OH.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.
>> IT WAS MY PLEASURE.
>> WHAT'S INCREDIBLE IS, IS NOT
ONLY DID YOU HAVE A DOUBLE-LUNG
TRANSPLANT, BUT THEN, YOU HAD
ANOTHER TRANSPLANT.
YOUR BODY REJECTED THOSE LUNGS.
>> YES.
>> YOU'RE ON YOUR THIRD SET OF
LUNGS RIGHT NOW.
>> I AM.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THEM FOR
RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.
GIVEN THE SITUATION, I AM SO
PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL I WAS ABLE
TO RECEIVE THOSE TRANSPLANTS.
>> HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?
WE LISTEN TO YOU.
IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING HAS EVER
HAPPENED.
>> YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN SPIRIT IS
AN AMAZING THING.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ABILITY TO
ADAPT AND TO LEARN AND TO GROW.
MY GRANDPARENTS WERE HOLOCAUST
SURVIV
SURVIVORS.
ON ONE SIDE.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, A
GRANDMOTHER THAT WAS WIDOWED.
I HAD A LITTLE BROTHER THAT TDIED
WHEN I WAS 5.
AND MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME THAT WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO LIVE UP TO
WHAT THE WORLD DEMANDS OF US AND
WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE.
IT'S BEEN TRUE MANY TIMES OVER
IN MY LIFE.
>> I THINK MANY PEOPLE WOULD
HAVE WANTED TO GIVE UP AND CLIMB
UNDERNEATH THE BED AND SAID, I
CAN'T.
NOT ONLY HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH
THE LUNG TRANSPLANTS, YOU HAVE
CONTINUED SINGING.
YOU FOUND LOVE.
AND IS IT TRUE THAT YOU ACHIEVED
YOUR DREAM OF SINGING AT LINCOLN
CENTER IN A WEDDING GOWN?
IS THAT TRUE?
>> I HAD BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL
FOR TEN DAYS BEFORE.
AND I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING
TO LEAVE BEFORE I FOUND A MATCH
FOR A TRANSPLANT OR UNTIL I
DIED.
THE DOCTORS AT THE CLEVELAND
CLINIC WORKED MIRACLES.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO FIT
BUT MY WEDDING GOWN.
SO, IT WORKED.
IT WAS A GREAT DRESS.
>> I'M SURE IT WAS SPECTACULAR.
>> YOU DECIDED TO HELP OTHERS.
TELL US HOW.
>> I'M LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN WITH
DONATE LIFE AMERICA, CALLED MY
ENCORE CAMPAIGN.
I WAS WRITING MY BOOK, ALL OF
THESE PEOPLE CAME TO ME WITH MY
INCREDIBLE STORIES OF SECOND
CHANCES.
WE ALL WANT REDEMPTION.
WE ALL WANT A SECOND CHANCE.
AS I CHAFACED MY OWN CHALLENGES, I
FOUND THAT DOING SOMETHING WAS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WHAT IT IS, YOU GO TO DONATE
DONATELIFE.NET, AND REGISTER AS
A NEW ORGAN DONOR.
YOU TELL A STORY OF YOUR OWN
SECOND CHANCE, WHATEVER IT IS.
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A LUNG
TRANSPLANT.
AND THEN, YOU CHALLENGE FIVE
FRIENDS TO JOIN YOU.
>> THIS IS HOW WE PAY IT
FORWARD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL AND SOUND
BEAUTIFUL.
>> THANK YOU.
IT'S MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOU CAN READ ABOUT CHARITY'S
STORY IN HER THEM WMEMOIR CALLED "THE
ENCORE."
>>> COMING
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