Overview
- The Deutscher Behindertensportverband and the Kinderhilfe Organtransplantation announced on Tuesday that Liebhardt died at age 44 after a serious illness that began in spring 2026.
- Liebhardt rose from a 2005 autoimmune diagnosis that caused spastic paralysis to win Paralympic gold in shot put and silver in long jump at Rio 2016 using a donated lung and a donated kidney.
- Her transplant history included two donor lungs and a kidney reportedly donated by her father, and she waited seven months for a second lung during the COVID‑19 pandemic before receiving it in 2020.
- After retiring from competition she led KiO as its chair from 2024, using her profile to push for donor cards, support families of transplanted children, and help develop recognition programs for donors.
- Her death renews public focus on organ‑donation attitudes and transplant waitlists in Germany and may increase attention to policies and support systems for transplant patients and donor families.