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Celebration of Life - Dustin and Baby Tannenhaus

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This summer, Dustin and Sofia were traveling abroad in Europe. This was a special occasion as he and Sofia were celebrating precious milestones in their life: Dustin had earned a month-long sabbatical and Sofia had just finished another successful year as a teacher at High Tech High and earned a position in the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. They embarked on their vacation ready to start the next exciting chapter in their lives: growing their family. 

Photo: Dustin and Sofia overlooking the beautiful town of Mykonos, Greece.

Photo: Sofia and Dustin in Mykonos, Greece.

Photo: Dustin and Sofia's selfie with the iconic blue domes in Santorini, Greece.

Photo: Dustin and Sofia exploring the Amalfi Coast by boat. This was Dustin's favorite day in Italy. 

Photo: Sofia and Dustin in Pamplona, Spain for San Fermines Festival.

Four weeks into their long vacation, on Saturday, July 20th, 2019, everything changed. Dustin and Sofia started their day as they usually did with a morning coffee. Dustin dropped Sofia off at a local gym and he decided to go on a run closer to the water just like any other day. When he finished his intense workout, he began to feel unwell. With the help of locals Sofia met at the gym that morning, they took Dustin to the hospital, but during their commute he went into cardiac arrest. By the time he reached the hospital, he had fallen into a coma and passed away shortly after, five days before his 34th birthday. The autopsy report revealed that Dustin likely had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). As anyone can imagine, this is the most devastating thing that could have happened to a young married couple who had recently started trying to have their first child.

Amidst the shock, emotional rollercoaster, and her return to the U.S. with Dustin’s ashes, Sofia found out of a new development: Baby Tannenhaus!

Photo: Mama-to-be with her pups, Lucy and Lily.

Sofia and Dustin were unknowingly three weeks pregnant on the day that Dustin tragically passed away. Sofia has been overwhelmed with emotions surrounding the miracle growing within her.  Dustin loved children and was looking forward to being a father. Sofia is grateful to have Dustin live on in the most special way possible and her pregnancy has brought her light during this incredibly difficult time. 

While Sofia is excited and looking forward to this new chapter, she is worried about the drastic change in her financial security. She never anticipated being a single mom and raising a child on her teacher income will be extremely challenging. All funds not used to cover expenses related to Dustin's death will go directly to caring for and raising their child.

Dustin was an incredible individual who will always be remembered for countless traits: his generosity, kindness, positivity, determination, charisma, athleticism, and strong will, among many others. He was an exceptional husband, son, brother, friend, co-worker, teammate, and role model. Dustin had a light that brought life, love, richness and spirit to everyone around him and he will be missed dearly. 

Photo: Dustin at Horseshoe Bend at sunrise. 

What happened to Dustin is unbelievably tragic. Sofia, his family, and loved ones are devastated by Dustin's unexpected passing. In honor of Dustin, this campaign has been created to provide updates about Sofia and baby Tannenhaus, offer a centralized platform for messages/condolences, and to collect donations. 

Many have been asking what they can do to help. If you would like to make a donation, please click on the donate button. Sofia is completely touched by the kindness and support she has received. She is beyond grateful for your generosity and care during this unimaginably difficult time. We will continue to keep in touch through this campaign page.

If you have any questions, you can send a message by clicking on my name at the top of the page.


With love, 
Christine Liboon
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Donations 

  • MaryAnn Berkeley
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Tin Lib
Organizer
San Diego, CA
Sofia Tannenhaus
Beneficiary

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