The family of two Iraqi siblings with Mediterranean anemia came to Turkey for treatment. A donor was found in Turkey for 5-year-old Omar, and a donor was found in India for 7-year-old Lina. The bone marrow from India was immediately brought by a special courier, and the two siblings had their transplants in Istanbul.
Lina, the first child of Shamal Ahmed Yasin (35), an ice cream vendor in Iraq, and his wife Eman Tarik Raouf (28), was diagnosed with Mediterranean anemia when she was about 2 years old. Two years younger than her, Omar also developed the same symptoms at the age of 1. They were treated with blood transfusions for a while. Later, the search for a bone marrow transplant began. In Iraq, people around them suggested India and said they could get their children treated more cheaply there. However, the family came to Turkey. Prof. Dr. Barış Malbora and his team performed the transplant procedure at Yeni Yüzyıl University Private Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital.
Brought by Special Courier
Prof. Dr. Barış Malbora, a Pediatric Hematologist, told Hürriyet about the details of the successful operations performed in Istanbul: "After the two Iraqi siblings came to Turkey, we first looked for a compatible donor within the family. When we couldn't find one, we screened TÜRKKÖK. We initially found a 90% compatible donor for Omar. Then, while the pre-transplant screenings were ongoing, a 100% compatible donor was found. The same process then happened for Lina. Since we couldn't find a compatible donor in Turkey, we started scanning global banks, and a donor was found in India. The bone marrow taken from the donor was brought to Turkey by plane and with a special courier. We performed the transplants for both siblings sequentially within a year."
Donors Kept Secret for 2 Years
Stating that 50,000 people worldwide receive bone marrow transplants for various diseases each year, Prof. Dr. Malbora said, "Thanks to TÜRKKÖK, which was established in Turkey in 2013, many patients have had bone marrow transplants and regained their health. According to globally applied regulations, to protect the donor and the person waiting for the donation and to prevent the donation from acquiring a financial nature, the recipient and donor are not allowed to meet for two years. After that, they can meet if both sides wish."
We Will Also Become Donors
While Eman Tarik Raouf, the mother whose two children regained their health thanks to the donated bone marrow, thanked the donor, the father, Shamal Ahmed Yasin, said that they were also considering becoming donors and were grateful to the donors whose names and ages they did not know.