Father Who Lost His Daughter to Leukemia Saved a Life Through Stem Cell Donation

Hakkı Uygun, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Münevver Uygun in 2016 due to leukemia, became a hope for another 18-year-old patient waiting for stem cell donation due to the same disease. Hakkı Uygun, whose stem cells have been transplanted in Yeditepe University Hospital where the treatment is conducted, said “it's great to give life to a soul. Please everyone donate stem cells."

Hakkı Uygun, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Münevver Uygun in 2016 due to leukemia disease, took action after the process he had gone through and called for the citizens to donate stem cells on his page entitled "Let's Not Be Silent to Little Hearts." Uygun, who donated stem cells a year ago, experienced great joy three months ago due to the discovery of an 18-year-old leukemia patient who was 90 percent compatible with his stem cells.

Speaking just before the stem cell transplantation procedures started, Hakkı Uygun said, “I lost my daughter to leukemia three years ago, she received treatment for 3 years. A year ago, I established an oncology page on social media named "Don't Stay Silent to Little Hearts". Later, I devoted myself to this path as my social project. I donated my stem cells a year ago, and I received some news three months ago. They said, "Your stem cells showed compatibility of 90 percent to a girl. What do you think?" I said, "I've set my heart on this path." I said, "You can take it whenever you want." Today, that day has come. It's a wonderful day. It's great to give life to a soul. I also want everyone to be a partner in this beauty. Unfortunately, we lose thousands of our children due to a lack of stem cell donations. There are a lot of children with leukemia in our country, I follow the issue as much as possible. Please everyone donate stem cells. Of course, the process is both enjoyable and exciting. I've experienced this for three months now. Thanks God, we have reached this day, while counting the days as in the military service and saying this many days, that many days are left. Hopefully, in about half an hour, stems cells will be taken. It takes about 5 hours, it doesn't matter. What is important is to give life to a soul."
Speaking at the beginning of the stem cell collection process, Uygun said, "We started the process with God's will. It will take about four hours. But there is no problem at all. I request everyone to participate in this. People misunderstand it as an organ donation, but it's just a stem cell collected through the vascular access. I request everyone to be sensitive. Look, it's that simple."

Yeditepe University Hospital Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Specialist Dr. Çetin Timur, on the other hand, stating that stem cell donation does not have a negative impact on health in any way, said that citizens can easily donate stem cells.

Dr. Çetin Timur said, "Stem cell transplantation is a method that we employ in most fatal diseases, in patients whose treatment is not possible, that is, we cannot treat with chemotherapy. Stem cells in the bone marrow can regenerate themselves and multiply. If the sick person has a problem with these, or if they cannot be treated due to any disease, we have a very high chance of curing the disease by performing a stem cell transplant. Of course, we need stem cell transplant donors for this. The donors do not experience any health problems. There is no such thing as a decrease in stem cells. They can easily donate them. Stem cells can regenerate themselves in a very short time. An individual can also be a donor over and over again and not experience health problems. But they would have saved a life probably. No permanent disease occurs in the donor."

Providing information about the stem cell retrieval process, Dr. Çetin Timur remarked, "We usually collect bone marrow in two ways. In the first method, we collect stem cells by administering a special medication and connecting the patient through the arm to a device using a regular needle to collect the stem cells produced there." This is a one-hour operation. The procedure involves no pain, no aches, and no risk. In another procedure. we collect bone marrow in the operating room under anesthesia within about 45 minutes. The patient does not experience any problems with this method either. They can return to their normal life a few hours after the procedure. With the stem cells we collect in this way, we acquire a chance to treat diseases that need stem cells, have no cure, or have a fatal course. As the number of voluntary donors increases, our chances of treating those affected by this disease also increase a lot. Currently, there is "TÜRKÖK Bone Marrow Bank" in Türkiye that collects bone marrow and delivers it to patients. Tissue groups are determined before harvests through just a simple blood test. These are saved on the computer and when the need arises, you are informed and asked, "Do you want to be a donor?" Then the stem cell collection process is initiated. It is a life-saving treatment. Being a stem cell donor is different from being an organ transplantation donor. Stem cells and bone marrow are the same things. There is no vital risk. A person can be a donor over and over again, it does not create a problem for them.”