Leukemia Survivor Becomes Life-Giving Donor for Arin
Öykü Arin Yazıcı, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) 5 years ago in İzmir, has received a fully compatible transplant from her brother, Dost Ekim. The ‘Hope for Story Arin’ campaign was launched by her parents, Eylem Şen Yazıcı and Çağdaş Yazıcı, and thousands of people from around the world donated stem cells in hopes of helping her. Although her semi-compatible transplant from her mother was unsuccessful, her father’s transplant was 98.5% successful. She has been taking precautions to avoid getting sick since being discharged from the hospital and frequently travels to Antalya for check-ups.
Öykü Arin started primary school in 2021, and in November of the same year, she held her brother ‘Friends October’ in her arms for the first time. It was discovered that Dost Ekim’s tissue type was fully compatible with Öykü Arin’s.
The parents, Eylem Şen Yazıcı and Çağdaş Yazıcı, continue to receive good news almost every week through the ‘Hope for Story Arin’ campaign, which was launched in 2018. They encourage others to become stem cell donors and to not be afraid of the process, as it can save lives.
Öykü Arin’s health has improved since her semi-compatible transplant from her father, and her parents look forward to celebrating the completion of 5 years since the transplant. Çiğdem Öztürk, who donated stem cells to Öykü Arin, encourages others to become donors and to be a “life to a soul”. She also made a special video for Öykü Arin thanking her for being the reason she became a donor.
