Lucia Sisic, who was Miss Austria in title, died at 22 after a lifetime living with congenital heart disease. Mission Austria, the organization responsible for the Miss Austria and Mister Austria beauty pageants, announced the news in a tribute post on their Facebook page on Monday, expressing "enormous shock and deep sadness" at the loss.
Lucia Sisic was described as a "Herzkind", a German term that designates a child with heart problems. She had a very heavy medical history, having faced at least seven surgeries throughout her life. In September, after the seventh surgical intervention, she posted a message on Instagram thanking her followers and expressing that she was "very happy" to finally be able to have a few years of respite from operations.
The young woman lived a childhood that she herself described as "simply different", but which she said had made her stronger. Her death represents the loss of a young woman who, despite all the health adversities, managed to achieve the title of Miss Austria and maintain an active presence on social media, where she shared her experience and thanks to her supporters.
