Yiğit Orhan, 7 years old, has been struggling with liver failure since the day he was born. His disease was diagnosed when he went to the doctor because his skin color was yellow when he was only 2 months old. His days were spent in the hospital, but nothing upset him as much as his friends excluded him when he started kindergarten and other parents said “Our children also get sick because of Yigit.” This year, when he was starting the first grade, he suddenly became ill and it turned out that he needed a liver transplant. Thanks to a successful operation performed by the Head of Memorial Ataşehir Hospital Organ Transplant and General Surgery Center Prof.Yalçın Polat and his team, he came back to life with the liver he received from his mother. Now he’s counting the days to go to school.
Mother Aysel Orhan, who gave life to Yiğit for the second time with her liver, expressed her feelings about the transplant as follows: “I quit my job for Yiğit”
We learned that Yiğit had liver failure when he was 2 months old. At that moment, it was a huge devastation for me and my husband Oran Yalçın. My child had to struggle with the disease while he was just starting life. As his condition worsened over time, I had to quit my job. Yigit needed more attentive care. He had a bone resorption problem as well as liver failure. He even once broke his leg while playing with the ball at home and we had to deal with two issues. He also had pain due to osteoporosis and could not walk for 5 minutes on the straight road.
“He was ostracized by other children at school”
We sent him to the kindergarten so that Yiğit would not fall behind his education. He was very eager to go to school; However, his look was different from other children because of his color and he was exposed to the gaze of other children. Families were not very understanding either. There were even those who complained because they did not want Yigit. When his illness increased, we decided not to send him to school in order to protect him from the risk of infection. When he saw his cousins, he always said “I am not like them”. Yigit’s communication with children is really strong. He is dying to talk and play with them. In fact, he constantly wants his toys from me and he goes to the street. He gives his toys to his friends to play with them.
“It is a distinct happiness to be able to give him a life for the second time”
Yiğit was treated in various hospitals during this period. He was aware of his illness. Over time, his condition had worsened. When we heard that there might be a transplant, I immediately became a donor. We knew that because my husband was overweight, he could not fit the donor criteria. Yigit was already a part of my life, connecting him to life for the second time gives me a special happiness.
“I am very happy to see that he is gaining weight “
Yiğit is 7 years old, but I could not see him gain weight month after month, growing up. But after the transplant, he recovered rapidly and day by day he is getting better and gaining weight. His weight gain makes me very happy. Now I want to see the days when he will recover and go to school. He’s always telling me that he’ll be a Policeman. I hope we will see those days too.
“The doctor who performed the liver transplant, Prof. Yalcin Polat”
Yigit met with liver failure when he was 2 months old. When he came to us, he was in the last stage of liver failure. His mother and father wanted to be a donor. We saw in his father’s examinations; he had a fatty liver and was not suitable for donation. Later, the necessary tests were performed for her mother to become a donor. Test results showed that all system functions were normal; that is, her state of health was suitable for being a donor. After the transplant with the liver taken from his mother, Yiğit regained his health. Although Yiğit is 7 years old, he is a very social child for his age. Now, due to the risk of infection, he will have more careful and attentive care for a certain period of time. After a short while, he will be able to go to the school he longed for and run and play with his friends as he wanted.