Elif, who was born with webbed fingers, had her treatment interrupted by her father's job loss.

24.01.2026 14:22

Four-year-old Elif Lina Teker, who was born in Adana with fused fingers on her right hand and has undergone approximately 10 surgeries, has had her treatment interrupted due to her father Enes Teker's job loss. The father, who has become unable to even pay the rent, said, "When my daughter plays with her dolls, she says, 'Your hands are big, mine is small. I want to be like you.' I hear her, but there is nothing I can do."

Elif Lina Teker (4), born in 2021 as the second child of Enes (33), a cleaning worker at the municipality, and housewife Dilara Teker in the Seyhan district of Adana, was born with a diagnosis of syndactyly (webbed fingers) on her right hand. Since a young age, Elif Lina has been undergoing treatment and has had approximately 10 surgeries to date. Elif Lina's father, Enes Teker, began experiencing health issues due to a recurrence of a meniscus tear he suffered while serving in the military about 10 years ago.

ELIF LINA'S TREATMENT HAS HIT A FINANCIAL DEAD END

Due to the worsening of his health issues, Teker underwent surgery in 2023 and was dismissed from work after becoming unable to work following the operations. The family, who tried to cover the necessary expenses by borrowing during the treatment process, fell into a difficult financial situation as Enes Teker became unable to work. While the family could no longer pay their rent and debts, over time, Elif Lina's treatment was also interrupted.

"I WAS DISMISSED DUE TO MY ILLNESS"

Describing the difficult process he went through, Enes Teker stated that during the time they were going from hospital to hospital in different cities for his daughter's treatment, he had to leave his job due to both health issues and the need to take frequent leaves.

Teker said, "I was dismissed from work because I took a lot of leave for both my illness and my daughter. I had to, I had to run for my child. I lost my job for my daughter's treatment. I couldn't work regularly during this process anyway. Our financial situation was not sufficient. We were deeply in debt. We generally borrowed gold from whoever we knocked on their door. We have about 40 Republic gold coins in debt," he said.

"MY DAUGHTER IS SAD LOOKING AT THE HANDS OF TOYS"

Teker conveyed that his daughter is experiencing psychological issues due to her fingers. He expressed that his daughter questions why her fingers are not like those of the toys when she looks at them, saying, "This is the point that truly hurts us. My daughter lines up her dolls at home and talks to them. She says, 'Your hands are big, mine is small. I want to be like you.' I hear these from a distance, but I can't do anything. She needs psychological support for this situation. However, we currently cannot afford that either. There is a lot of congestion in state hospitals, and the consultations are only 10-15 minutes long. Our process is long, and it requires one-on-one attention. My daughter says, 'Dad, I don't want to go to school.' When I ask, 'Why?' she says, 'They will make fun of my hand, they will say why are you like this.' At this age, she has made this a fixation for herself. We try to explain as much as we can, but this cannot be done without expert support," he said.

Expressing that they are waiting for support from the authorities, Enes Teker stated that he wants his daughter's treatment process to continue uninterrupted. Little Elif Lina, on the other hand, stated that she loves to apply nail polish and is waiting for help from adults for her hand to heal.