Namık Ünlü, a 50-year-old, who has been struggling with kidney failure for many years, clung to life again when his mother-in-law, 66-year-old Hanife Yavuz, donated her kidney to him. Describing his son-in-law as "no different than my son," Yavuz said, “When my children are happy, I am happy too.”
In 2006, when his mother was diagnosed with kidney failure, Namık Ünlü, a 50-year-old faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Marmara University, had very high creatinine levels and began receiving treatment. Slowing down the progression of the disease through drug therapy until 2019, Doctors recommended a kidney transplant as a last resort when Ünlü's fainting episodes increased. Ünlü, who has many kidney patients in his family, said that he was reborn with the kidney donated by his mother-in-law.

Ünlü, who regained his health through the surgery performed by Yeditepe University Hospitals' Kidney Transplant Clinic Supervisor, who is a General Surgery Specialist, and their team on July 11, said, "I had to live under strict control, but now I have no obstacles left when it comes to eating. I love my mother-in-law so much, she loves me so much, too. May Allah bless her a thousand times over."

He Has Struggled with Kidney Failure for 13 Years

Stating that his disease has progressed to the final stage before dialysis in 13 years, Namık Ünlü said, “We have reached a certain point by using these drugs for 13 years, but last year my values increased so much so that I started to experience problems such as fainting, hospitalization; this was the final stage before dialysis. The doctors told me that I needed a kidney transplant for a definitive solution.”

“I Love My Mother-in-Law So Much”

Saying that his mother-in-law gave her kidney without thinking a second, Ünlü explained, “We looked for in my family first, but there is no one in the family who does not have kidney disease. My father passed away. My mother has also been unable to give it due to health problems. I have two daughters; they are not the first choice for a transplant since they are too young. At that very moment, God bless her, my mother-in-law, may god be pleased with her a thousand times over, told my wife without thinking at all that she would give me her kidney. We had no information about the transplant; my mother-in-law's age was high, so I hesitated initially. I love my mother-in-law so much, and she loves me so much, too. We've been together for years; we are so close that we share everything. I see her as a ’mom.' I also had to oversee my children, so I reconciled myself to this decision.”

"July 11 is My Second Birthday”

Stating that both of his kidneys were functioning at a performance level below 10 percent, son-in-law Ünlü mentioned, “I feel July 11 as my second birthday; I was born again. I feel blessed so that I can continue to be there for my children." It allowed me to continue working and benefiting society. Otherwise, I would have been a disabled person who needed help, let alone benefiting society. He was diagnosed with kidney failure. Both of my kidneys were functioning at a performance level below 10 percent, which made my standard of living quite difficult.”

“She Was a Second Mother to My Children”

Emphasizing that togetherness is crucial in a family, Ünlü said, "When my daughters were born, my mother-in-law took care of them, we lived in the same house. She has been a second mother to my children. They never say ‘grandma’ to her, and they view her differently. We know all problems of each other. Togetherness is crucial in a family; I always emphasize this to my daughters, too.”

“There Is a Huge Difference Between My Previous And Later Life.”

Saying that he will continue his life by eating healthily, Ünlü remarked, “There is a huge difference between my previous life and now. I couldn't eat meat and salty foods. I had to take a lot of chemical substances and live under strict control. I couldn't go out in cold weather; I had to stay in a warm environment. Now I have no barriers left when it comes to food. Of course, everyone should pay attention not to gain weight or consume too much salt, and I also pay attention to them.”

"Of Course, I Will Give My Kidney; He is Also My Child.”

His 66-year-old mother-in-law Hanife Yavuz, on the other hand, described the process and her feelings as follows:
“My daughter came to us one day and wanted to talk. I knew about Namık's sickness, but I didn't know that his values were so high. She said, ‘Mom, will you give your kidney if it fits.’ 'Of course, I will,' I said, 'He is also my child.' After that, she rejoiced; we got a little emotional as mother and daughter. I used to fear injections, but I did not fear this at all. I gave my kidney gladly; may it be halal! I didn't hesitate at all. If my children are happy, I'm happy too.”
On the other hand, Yeditepe University Hospital General Surgery Specialist who performed the surgery said, "When the patient came to us, he had developed kidney failure, and the need for treatment had arisen. The kidneys' follow-up period lasted for 13 years, from 2006 to 2019. We made the necessary preparations and completed the process with a kidney transplant treatment. The most important point here is that the mother-in-law has donated her kidney to her son-in-law. We rejoice on behalf of the family every time we see them. The beauty of the relationship between them and the value they attach to each other is so special.”

“Their Health Status is Quite Well"

Our General Surgery Specialist, who emphasized that there are certain rules for kidney donation, said, “A month has passed since the discharge of Mr. Ünlü. His kidney functions are good. The donor mother-in-law had been discharged on the second day of surgery. The health status of both are well. Everyone cannot directly donate kidneys to everyone. The donor must be healthy, and their blood type must fit the recipient's blood type. The blood type of Mr. Ünlü's wife did not fit. Her mother-in-law's blood type fit and she was eager for her son-in-law's treatment. It had not been possible for the patient's own family members to donate a kidney due to their health problems.”

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