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What Killed Lucia Sisic, Miss Austria at 22?

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Lucia Sisic, Miss Austria since 2024, has died at age 22, according to the pageant organization Mission Austria.
  • The organization did not disclose a precise final cause, but reports said Sisic had a congenital heart-valve defect and underwent seven cardiac surgeries.
  • Friends and colleagues remembered Sisic as a resilient figure who had spoken publicly about surviving serious medical challenges.

Lucia Sisic, who became Miss Austria in 2024, has died at 22 after a life shaped by a congenital heart condition and repeated cardiac surgeries.

It is with great shock and deep sorrow that we learned of the death of our Miss Austria 2024, Lucia Sisic.

· Kerstin RiggerThe Mission Austria director confirmed Sisic’s death.

Mission Austria confirmed her death in a statement on Instagram. Kerstin Rigger, the organization’s director, said it had learned of the death “with great shock and deep sorrow.” The organization did not officially communicate the precise final cause of death, although Sisic had lived with a malformation of the heart valve since birth.

Sisic won the Miss Vienna title in January 2024 at a gala in Lugner City before taking the country’s top beauty title later that year. Her reign lasted longer than planned after the annual ceremony was interrupted for two years.

Our Lucia is gone, too soon and forever.

· Miroslav PiplicaA family associate remembered Sisic after her death.

According to reports cited in the article, Sisic underwent seven heart surgeries during her short life. In 2017, after a highly complex operation, she required resuscitation and extensive rehabilitation to regain mobility. The procedure also caused nerve damage, but she continued to describe her recovery with determination.

She was like a sister to me, especially during the time we held the titles together. We will all miss her very much.

· Christopher DenggThe former Mr Austria described his relationship with Sisic.

After another successful operation in August 2024, Sisic thanked the medical specialists who had treated her. “Thanks to the dedicated specialists and doctors who repeatedly saved my life with their incredible efforts, I overcame many difficult moments and was able to live a full life,” she wrote. Her final hospitalization came in late 2025. After her seventh surgery, she shared a hopeful message with followers, writing, “I have already had surgery for the seventh time and I am...” The article ends before the sentence is completed. Friends and colleagues paid tribute to her, with family associate Miroslav Piplica saying she had gone “too soon and forever,” while former Mr Austria Christopher Dengg said she had been like a sister to him.

Thanks to the dedicated specialists and doctors who repeatedly saved my life with their incredible efforts, I overcame many difficult moments and was able to live a full life.

· Lucia SisicShe thanked her medical team in a social media message after a successful operation in 2024.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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