Turkey’s First Kidney Transplant Patient and Association President Dies: Breaking News
Mehmet Şahan, a pioneer in the organ donation movement in Turkey, has passed away at the age of 66. Şahan received a kidney transplant in 1979 from his uncle Ahmet Sayıgilı, which gave him a new lease on life. As one of Turkey’s first kidney transplant patients, Şahan became an advocate for organ donation, founding AKBÖHONDER and starting the ‘Hand in Hand for Organ Donation Project’ to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.
Şahan’s tireless efforts to promote organ donation led him to travel from city to city, organizing seminars and speaking to groups about the life-saving power of organ donation. Despite battling kidney inflammation in recent years, Şahan continued to call for organ donation until his passing.
Şahan’s contributions to the organ donation movement in Turkey have been significant, and his passing is a great loss to the community. He will be buried in the Duacı Cemetery. However, his legacy lives on through the many lives he has touched and saved through his advocacy for organ donation.
