Gökçen Ünal, mother of two children living in Gaziantep, applied to the hospital, thinking that she had a cold. Unal, who was found to have gangrene as a result of his small intestine clotting as a result of the tests, experienced the shock of his life. When he learned that he was afflicted with a disease that is seen in one in 10 million, the doctors said to Ünal, “He will only live for 2-3 hours”. Unal, whose small intestine was removed with a successful operation and who has been fighting for his life for 5 months, is now waiting for small intestine donation. Stating that he had a very difficult time, Ünal said, “I have 2 daughters and I am trying to survive for them. People really don’t know until they happen to them. It is necessary to donate organs,” he said.
LOSE 30 KG IN 5 MONTHS
Although the small intestine is one of the organs that are least donated and difficult to transplant, mother Ünal, who has been fighting for 5 months, is resisting the disease for her daughters Aden and Irmak. Unal, who was fed with serum from the intravenous line because he did not have a small intestine, lost 30 kilos in 5 months due to the lack of absorption in his body. Unal, who is melting day by day in his hospital room, is waiting for a compatible small intestine to be found.
HE THOUGHT HE GIVEN A COLD, GIANT ANGRENA RETURNED
Unal, who went to a private hospital thinking that he had a cold in his stomach, was found to have gangrene in his small intestine, and by surgically opening his abdomen. After the diagnosis of the disease, the Turgut Özal Medical Center Training and Research Hospital in Malatya was contacted. Unal, who was sent to Malatya after suturing a very small piece of small intestine that remained intact, received treatment in Malatya for a while. Unal, who is now waiting for small intestine donation in Gaziantep, talked about the painful days and experiences he has been through for 5 months.
Expressing that she expects sensitivity from the citizens at the point of organ donation, mother Ünal said, “So I am trying to resist. I have 2 daughters, I’m trying to survive for them. People really don’t know until they happen to them. It is necessary to donate organs,” he said.
IT STARTED WITH A BELIEF
Stating that he thought he had a cold because of the mild abdominal pain he experienced, Ünal said that he woke up on November 29, 2021 with a terrible stomachache. Explaining that he went to the hospital with the onset of vomiting and diarrhea symptoms, Ünal said, “The doctors said they suspected dysentery. Then the internist decided to take me to the service. At that time I was always saying ‘I am bad’. Meanwhile, my blood level starts to drop. When the heart rate drops or something, they immediately take me to the intensive care unit. Doctors do a lot of research, but they can’t find the cause of the ailment that is making me so bad. Because it is a one in 10 million ailment and neither my age nor my gender is suitable for this ailment. Then they decide to open my stomach and have a look. When they open my stomach in surgery, they see that my small intestine is completely gangrene. They close my stomach thinking that nothing can be done anymore. As the clot comes and clogs my small intestine, the intestine begins to become gangrene.”
“DOCTORS SAY TO MY FAMILY ‘ WE CAN PART YOUR FUNERAL AFTER 2-3 HOURS’”
Unal, who said that his small intestine started to become gangrene 2 days ago, said that the disease did not show him any clear symptoms. Unal, who shared that he did not have severe abdominal pain and swelling that should normally be experienced, said, “The doctors told my family, ‘There is nothing that can be done now. They say, ‘We can give your funeral up to 2-3 hours’. Then they took me to another hospital. A tiny solid piece of the small intestine remains. They surgically reattach him and get me ready for transplant. They meet with Malatya and take my dispatch there. There, Surgeon General Murat Doğan has been taking care of me for 5 months. All my tests have been done. I am currently waiting for a small intestine transplant. However, because they do not know that there is no small intestine transplant, they donate liver, kidney, etc., but there are very few people who donate small intestine. Murat teacher last performed a small intestine transplant 3 years ago. He added that the number of patients is low and it cannot be done very often.
“I LEARNED AFTER I LOSE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SMALL BOOT”
Unal, who added that he has been waiting for small intestine donation for 5 months, emphasized that his days were very difficult. Stating that he learned after losing that the small intestine is actually a very important organ, Ünal said, “Since the small intestine performs the storage process, it is one of the most important organs for survival. Since I didn’t have it, they opened a catheter in my body. They give me all my daily necessary vitamins via serum. Otherwise it will be very difficult for me to survive. I can’t eat or drink everything. It doesn’t accept it in my stomach anyway. The body refuses. I lost 30 kilos in 5 months because there was no absorption. There are those who lose weight faster. I am lucky in this regard. If the small intestine was not found, the doctor said, I would turn to the Africans for a while. I will weaken. I will start walking. I’m very likely to be bedridden. Since there is no small intestine, the liver starts to get tired. I’m already in line for a liver transplant. My gallbladder started to have problems as well. I don’t have 50 percent of my large intestine. The absence of the small intestine affected my body very badly.
“IN THIS PROCESS, I OVERCOME COVID-19 2 TIMES”
Stating that he could not take his one-year-old nephew in his arms because his body was weak, Ünal said, “However, I caught Covid-19 twice in this process. He also pushed quite a bit. However, the doctors were very surprised that I survived Covid in all this. People really don’t know until they happen to them. Organ donation is required. There are many options when entering the system for organ donation. Let them not donate only the heart, kidney, liver, but let them choose all of them and donate them that way. Not all of them are taken. I met a lot in Malatya. Very young people are waiting for a transplant. Even a 3-year-old child may need a liver. You can get the liver from your own family, but not the small intestine. It is a very nice thing to be able to be a life for people and to ensure that their family does not fall apart,” he said.
(UAV)