CALGARY -- Canadian opera star Measha Brueggergosman is awaiting heart surgery, 10 years after undergoing a similar procedure.
The Fredericton-born, Nova Scotia-based singer said on Facebook that she was at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary awaiting double bypass surgery after waking up with severe chest pain.
Brueggergosman, who turns 42 this month, underwent successful open-heart surgery in June 2009 to repair a dissection in her aorta.
Brueggergosman shared her news Saturday in a post that expressed her grief over the recent death of her father, Sterling Gosman, a well-known pastor in Nova Scotia.
The famed soprano's post shared her sadness over possibly missing her father's funeral and being apart from her family in a time of grief, asking for prayers and support.
"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," Brueggergosman's June 15 post read.
The singer said she was "in good hands medically," but shared her heartache over missing her father's funeral, where she had always planned to sing her favourite hymn.
"The loss of a parent is a major life event and I'm concerned that to be denied the privilege of taking part in the rituals of loss will be of no help to my heart," her post read.
Brueggergosman wrote that her heart was breaking "literally and figuratively" at the thought of missing the celebration of her father's life, saying she took solace in the fact that her father wouldn't want her to risk her life for his funeral.
She asked for prayers that her heart would be healed through the surgery.
Evan Newman, a manager for Brueggergosman, said as of Monday the singer was still at the hospital awaiting her procedure.
Support has poured in from fans since Brueggergosman shared her post on Saturday, with people sharing memories of her father, sending their condolences and well wishes.
