Opera singer Measha Brueggergosman in Calgary hospital awaiting bypass surgery
Because she's in hospital, Brueggergosman may not make it home in time for her father's funeral
International opera star Measha Brueggergosman is awaiting double-bypass surgery in a Calgary hospital.
The Fredericton-born soprano, who now calls Nova Scotia home, wrote on her Facebook page Saturday that she is a patient at Foothills Medical Centre.
Brueggergosman underwent emergency surgery in Toronto in 2009 after suffering a life-threatening tear in her aorta.
"Nearly 10 years to the day of my aorta exploding, I woke up in Calgary on the day I was meant to fly home to Nova Scotia with severe chest pain," the post reads.
Brueggergosman also revealed on social media that her father, Pastor Sterling Gosman, has died. She called out for support from her fans as she waits to find out if the procedure will happen early enough to allow her to attend her father's funeral.
"I can't begin to express how devastating it is to be this far from home, in a hospital bed, and unable to be with my family. The agony of not being with my mother and my sons right now has inspired me to write this post because I am in desperate need of prayer and support," the singer wrote.
"I truly believe to my core that God has a plan that is better than anything I could think of and that my father wouldn't want me to risk dying for the sake of attending a man-made ritual intended to make us feel better about the passing of a loved one."
In the emotional Facebook post, Brueggergosman went on to describe how "ritual" has helped her when dealing with grief at other times in her life. She described losing a pregnancy in the first trimester and then, another time, having to deliver a late-term stillborn baby.
"I fear that my grieving process will be stunted and incomplete if I'm prohibited from taking part in what I know will be a wonderful celebration of my father's life and legacy," she wrote.
One of Brueggergosman's managers, Evan Newman, confirmed via email that Measha is currently waiting to hear from the medical team, and said that no official statement will be released at this time.