32,500 people are waiting for organ transplants in Türkiye

Minister Memişoğlu spoke at the patient-donor meeting held at the Ministry of Health's Bilkent Campus on the occasion of TÜRKÖK's 10th anniversary.

Memişoğlu stated that TÜRKÖK, established through a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Red Crescent, serves as Türkiye's national bone marrow bank, adding, "Our goal is to find and deliver the most suitable stem cells to patients in need of bone marrow transplantation in our country and around the world."

Memişoğlu stated that citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 go ​​to Red Crescent centers and donate blood voluntarily, adding that once a tissue match is found with a patient, the donor is immediately contacted and the process begins.

Memişoğlu explained that if a suitable donor is found abroad, the donor network is contacted through TÜRKÖK and the cellular product is safely brought to Türkiye. "We carry out this process with great care in our Bone Marrow Banks in Ankara and Istanbul," he said.

Memişoğlu stated that TÜRKÖK joined the World Bone Marrow Donor Association, which has 56 member countries, in 2016. He said, "With 1.2 million volunteer donors, we have become the 7th largest bone marrow bank in the world. This beautifully reflects the conscience, compassion, and culture of sharing of the Turkish nation. To date, more than 7,500 patients have been provided with suitable stem cells through TÜRKÖK."

"They communicated by letter for 2 years"

Minister Memişoğlu stated that donors and patients had communicated only by letter for two years without seeing each other. He continued:

Between the lines, they wrote their hopes, prayers, and gratitude. Today, we will all witness the special bond those letters created. This moment will remain an unforgettable memory in the minds of everyone here for many years to come. Life grows when shared, and kindness becomes more meaningful when multiplied. When the breath of one soul mixes with the prayer of another, humanity is reborn. And we know that whoever saves one soul is as if they have saved all of humanity.

Memişoğlu emphasized that the Ministry has initiated a major transformation regarding organ donation, stating that citizens can now donate organs with a single click through e-Government. He noted that with the new regulation, the donor's will will remain valid even after their death, and that first-degree relatives of the donor receiving an organ transplant will also be prioritized.

Memişoğlu, recalling the implementation of the National Tissue and Cell Banking system, said, "With this system, we aim to meet our patients' tissue and cell needs through domestic production. With the Cell and Tissue Product Production Centers to be established in our country, advanced therapeutic products based on gene, stem cell, and tissue engineering will now be developed in Türkiye. This will increase our production capacity and position our country as a regional center in this field."

Pointing out that 32,500 citizens in Türkiye are currently waiting for an organ transplant, Memişoğlu said, "Come, give hope to someone you don't even know. Because the greatest strength of this country is the conscience of its people. I extend my gratitude to every donor, every patient, all our healthcare professionals, and the Turkish Red Crescent."

Minister Memişoğlu, who later presented plaques to the donors, also paid close attention to the pediatric patients.

Minister Memişoğlu took a souvenir photo with the patients and donors who attended the program.

Patients and donors had emotional moments as they saw each other for the first time.

Patients and donors from different provinces of Türkiye saw each other for the first time after their recovery period was completed.

There were emotional moments at the meeting where patients who recovered through bone marrow donation presented flowers to their donors.

"He gave me a second life"

The patient and the donor, who regained their health thanks to bone marrow donation, talked about the process they went through.

Aytekin Karadaş, 38, said he was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia eight years ago and a suitable donor was found in 2019.

Karadaş, who said he met his donor for the first time today, said, "My own birthday is May 26th, but thanks to him, my second birthday was on June 27th. I was very proud of him for his sensitivity and for donating his bone marrow to me at such a young age. I recommend everyone to donate. Saving a human being is saving humanity."

Donor Yıldız Ümmühan Ünal said that she came to Ankara from Bilecik to donate and that she was happy to see this person recover.

Ünal, who stated that they wrote letters to each other twice, said:

"However, we didn't know anything about each other. After the donation, I emailed the Ministry of Health because I was curious about his health. They told me he was getting better, and I was even happier then. The pain we experienced is unlike anything they experienced. I invite everyone to become a donor."