Children's Report Card Joy

Children's Report Card Joy

Children who had transplants at İzmir Kent Hospital after their livers failed for various reasons headed straight to their doctors as soon as schools closed for the holidays. The children, who met at the hospital for their annual check-ups, were found to have health report cards that are just as good as their school report cards.

The children who met at İzmir Kent Hospital for their annual check-ups celebrated the joy of their school report cards by cutting a cake together with their doctors. The children with liver transplants, who came not only from İzmir but from all corners of Türkiye, were found to have health report cards that are just as good as their school report cards. 

THEY MET THEIR DOCTORS

The children with liver transplants, whose stories differ but whose fates are shared, came together after their tests and examinations with their doctors Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Kılıç, Op. Dr. Cahit Yılmaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mert Akan, Op. Dr. Rasim Farajov, Op. Dr. Zaza Lakobadze, Dr. Elçin Yücebaş, and the nurses, their “big sisters and brothers.” The children, who showed their report cards to their doctors and shared their joy, also received good marks in their health check-ups. At the gathering, where the parents shared in the joy as well, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Kılıç of the Kent Hospital Liver Transplantation team said the following:

“Our children are children who previously had a liver transplant, held on to life, and are continuing a normal life. Most of them are children we transplanted when they were 5–6 months old or 1–2 years old, and 8–10 years have passed since their transplants. Now they have received their report cards. All of them brought home very good report cards. Today we are celebrating their report cards, and we are also rejoicing in the fact that they are healthy. Most of the children here received their transplants from relatives. There are children who received them from their mother, their maternal aunt, their maternal uncle. Because a liver transplant is a life-saving operation, most of the children here would have been lost without a transplant. That is why we remember the old days. All of them went through very serious health problems. Seeing them healthy like this makes us very happy. Thank God, both our children’s school report cards and their health report cards are very good.”

THEY EXPRESSED THEIR FEELINGS

The parents and children who met at the hospital also shared their feelings. Hasan Arslan, the father of Feyza Nur Arslan, said: “We come from Hatay. Feyza’s older brother had died of the same illness. We couldn’t save him. When Feyza caught the same illness, they referred us to İzmir Kent Hospital. Saving Feyza was our last resort.

May God be pleased with our doctors. They took her into surgery right away. In 2012 the transplant was performed with a liver from her mother. Since that day we have never experienced that illness again. Thank God, no problems have come up at her check-ups. We are very happy. I still can’t believe it. I had come here without hope, but we saw that our doctors welcomed us so warmly. They said, ‘God willing, we will save Feyza.’ Right now I have only one daughter. I have no other children.

I am very happy, and I thank my doctors very much,” he said. Feyza Nur Arslan said: “My report card is good. This year I received a certificate of appreciation. I want to become a lawyer in the future. I thank my doctors very much.” Semanur Songur, the mother of Onur Toprak Songur, said: “Onur was only 2 months old when his illness appeared. It was a hopeless situation for us. The fact that he is alive today is a miracle. Both my husband and I wanted to be donors, but we were not a match. My brother Cemil became a donor for my son. We didn’t know about this. It was a surprise for us.

My son had his transplant when he was 6 months old. We are very happy now. It is as if my son was born a second time. For us his birthday is not in September but in March, the month of his operation. On the day of the operation he came into the world again. For us, a new day was born on that day. It was a difficult process, but it ended very well. He has now finished 4th grade. Everything is going well. We thank our doctors very much,” she said. Onur Toprak Songur (10) said: “I received a certificate of appreciation this year. My grades are very good. In the future I want to be a YouTuber.”

DIFFERENT STORIES, SHARED FATES

Merve Perihan Gezer from Gaziantep had a transplant at only 15 months old because of cryptogenic (cause unknown) liver failure. Merve, who began her second life with a transplant from her mother Hatice Gezer on 16 October 2012, studied at home this year and moved up to second grade. She experienced the joy of receiving a report card for the first time. Birkan Aktaş, referred from Tokat, was 8 years old when he had his transplant on 4 June 2010 with a diagnosis of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Birkan, who received liver tissue from his mother Dudu Aktaş, is successfully continuing his education in İzmir, where the family moved after the transplant. Birkan, who attends Karşıyaka TOKİ Multi-Programme Anatolian High School, moved up to 11th grade this year.

Ayhan Yılmaz, who lives in the Bandırma district of Balıkesir, had a transplant on 3 March 2011, at the age of 9, because of an absence of bile ducts (biliary atresia). It was his maternal aunt Özlem Barbaros who opened the doors of a second life for Ayhan. Ayhan, a student at Manyas Anatolian High School, moved up to 12th grade.

Among the children, Hasan Alınca, who lives in İzmir, went onto the operating table on 28 November 2012, at only 3 years old, with a diagnosis of cryptogenic (cause unknown) liver failure. Hasan Alınca, who received liver tissue taken from his mother Gizem Alınca, graduated this year from Mahmut Esat Bozkurt Primary School. Hasan will start middle school next year.

Feyza Nur Arslan from Hatay had a transplant on 19 January 2012, at the age of 4, with a diagnosis of “acute-subacute liver failure.” Her mother Nazire Arslan gave Feyza Nur life for the second time. Feyza Nur, who fought a great fight for life at a tiny age, is a student at Antakya Tanışma Imam Hatip Middle School. Having moved up to 7th grade, Feyza Nur shared the joy of her report card with her doctors. Yusuf, who received a transplant from his father Şeyhmuz Derici because of acute liver failure, went onto the operating table at the age of 2. Yusuf, whom his grandfather Medeni Derici never let out of his sight, is now 9 years old. Yusuf Derici, who lives in İzmir, is celebrating moving up to 4th grade at Hüseyin Avni Ateşoğlu Primary School. Onur Toprak Songur, who went onto the operating table at 6 months old with a diagnosis of biliary atresia (absence of bile ducts), was given the gift of life by his maternal uncle Cemil Polat. Onur Toprak, who came to life with liver tissue transplanted from his uncle on 25 March 2010, is 9 years old and now a middle school student. Onur Toprak graduated from İsmail Şekip Uyal Primary School, putting on the gown and tossing the cap.

Ahmet Kuzey Araboğa, referred from Mersin to İzmir Kent Hospital with a diagnosis of acute liver failure, was 16 months old when he had his transplant on 24 May 2013. Kuzey, to whom his father Ali Tayfun Araboğa gave life, experienced the joy of receiving a report card for the first time this year. Kuzey moved up to 2nd grade at Mersin Yenişehir Primary School. Habibe Ceylin Ceylan, who had a transplant from her father İbrahim Ceylan at 6 months old, was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma. Ceylin from İzmir, who has left very difficult days behind her, graduated this year from Afacanlar Kindergarten. Ceylin, who will be a primary school student next year, came to her check-up with her mother Pakize and her siblings Belinay and Elif Leyla.