12-Year-Old Tuğba Nur Survived with Transplant

Tuğba Nur Ön (12), who was diagnosed with kidney failure at a young age, survived with the kidney given by her aunt. After the treatment, the little girl said that everything became easier, ''Now I can move easily, run and have a good time with my friends. I want to be a nurse in the future.”

In order to draw attention to the issue of organ donation, a meeting titled 'Transplanted Life' was held by Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Organ Transplantation Center. General Surgery Specialist and Head of the Nephrology Department from Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Organ Transplantation Center Prof. Dr. Gülçin Kantarcı was the speaker at the meeting. Tuğba Nur Ön and 60-year-old Şükran Kalınoğlu were among the participants.

“First Her Hands Began To Cramp”

Nuray Ön, who told that they took her daughter Tuğba Nur to the doctor 4 years ago due to excessive weight loss, stated: "My daughter has started to lose weight. We searched for the reasons and a lot of tests were done. The doctors said he was anemic. After that, she had a cramps in her hands. I was diagnosed with renal failure when I took her back to the doctor. After a year of treatment, we met our General Surgery Specialist. I wanted to donate my kidney first. When it was learned that I had a stone in my kidney before the surgery, my sister, that is, her aunt, donated her kidney."

“I Am Running Easily Now”

Stating that the psychology of little Tuğba also bad during the disease process, her mother: "There were many foods that she could not eat. When our doctors said 'Tuğba, you are now free to eat anything you want' after the transplant, a new life started for her." Stating that she started to feel good after the transplant, the little girl: "At first, of course, it was very difficult. After the treatment, everything became easier, now I am healthy. I can run and have a good time with my friends. I want to be a nurse in the future.”

Freedom After 21 Years Of Dialysis

After 21 years of dialysis process, 60-year-old Şükran Kalınoğlu, who regained her health with kidney transplantation made from a cadaver, described her difficult years as follows:

"I applied to the doctor because of the darkness in my urine. After the examinations, kidney failure was diagnosed. After 9 years of treatment, I started dialysis. I was on dialysis for 21 years. Such a life was, of course, difficult. I had two children who went to school at that time. You can drink water as much as you want and go wherever you want. Everyone needs to donate their organs. It is very difficult to live in dialysis, even your arm is deteriorating from the needles."

"The Number Of Patients Increases As Obesity And Sugar Increase"

Pointing out that the people who expect the most organs in Turkey are kidney patients, General Surgery Specialist: "Compared to Western societies, our number of patients is somewhat higher. But, with the intensive work of our Nephrology doctors, we are trying to reduce this number a little. As a result, as the number of sugar, blood pressure, and obese people increases in society, this problem naturally increases. As health standards rise, the population gets older. Problems related to aging may increase. Turkey has a good infrastructure in this regard, and people from many countries come to Turkey for treatment."

"Not Cadavers, Donations from Deceased Person"

Pointing out that the donation known as organ transplantation from the cadaver is a "deceased person donation", the General Surgery Specialist said, "This is not a cadaver. This expression is used in medical schools for the operations performed on people who have donated their bodies as cadavers. People who have donated organs and lost their lives are operated in the most sensitive way and sutured with aesthetic sutures without impairing body integrity. These people are not cadavers.''

Stating that the figures in Turkey are good in terms of organ transplantation, Prof. Dr. Gülçin Kantarcı: "Our number of live transplants is good. In dialysis, we have a lot of patients. Of the 80,000 or so chronic kidney patients, only 20 percent can undergo organ transplants on dialysis. We are quite behind in organ donation in the world.”