A brave fight, a difficult farewell.

An Ironton woman who underwent a double lung-heart transplant earlier this year has lost her fight for good health.

Michelle &#8220Shelly” Vulhop, 34, died Thursday. Vulhop's aunt, Lana Miller, said that while Vulhop had been released from the hospital this summer after having the rare transplant. But Vulhop had continued her uphill struggle to recover from the operation and from the complications of double outlet right ventricle, a rare congenital disorder that caused her to be sick in the first place.

&#8220She had just been so sick, one thing after another,” Miller said. &#8220I know we all hoped and prayed for the same thing. I guess God had other plans. If there is anyone who deserves a crown, it's Shelly. She has had to endure so much and she's always had such a good spirit.”

Vulhop made medical history Feb. 8 when she received donated lungs and a donated heart at Ohio State University Medical Center's Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital.

The procedure was the first of its kind in central Ohio and rare worldwide. She had been ill her entire life and had been on a waiting list for organ donation six years before her surgery. She was released from the hospital in June and returned home to Ironton the following month.

Her funeral will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday at Phillip's Funeral Home.

She will be buried at Woodland Cemetary.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Meanwhile, her family copes with her loss as best they can.

&#8220I just kept praying, if she could have even a couple of months without being sick and having to take all that medicine,” Miller said. &#8220But God had other plans.”