08.11.2026 11:30
Eylül Masal, the 6-year-old daughter of the Bekler family living in Hatay, has been receiving leukemia treatment at LÖSANTE Hospital in Ankara for about a year. After the bone marrow transplant from her mother with a 50 percent match failed in August, Eylül Masal's chemotherapy started again. When a suitable donor could not be found abroad either, the family called on people aged 18-35 to donate bone marrow.
The bone marrow transplant performed with a 50% match from her mother for Eylül Masal Bekler (6), who has been fighting leukemia in Ankara for about a year, was unsuccessful. Eylül Masal is waiting for a suitable donor to be found so she can regain her health.
Eylül Masal Bekler, one of the 4 children of the Sencan-Mehmet Can Bekler couple living in Hatay, was taken to the hospital last December with a complaint of persistent high fever. Tests diagnosed Eylül Masal with leukemia. Eylül Masal was admitted for treatment at LÖSANTE Hospital, affiliated with the Foundation for Children with Leukemia in Ankara, and it was decided to administer chemotherapy and perform a bone marrow transplant. In August, a half-matched bone marrow transplant was performed from her mother, Sencan Bekler. However, Eylül Masal's body did not accept the bone marrow transplant. After this negative process, Eylül Masal continues chemotherapy treatment at the hospital again and is waiting for a suitable bone marrow donor to be found.
HER BODY DID NOT ACCEPT THE TRANSPLANT FROM HER MOTHER
Eylül Masal's mother, Sencan Bekler, said that no suitable donor could be found for Eylül Masal and stated, “They looked abroad, and no donor could be found abroad either. When no donor could be found, a transplant was performed from me with a 50% match. We performed the bone marrow transplant in August. However, our transplant was unsuccessful. It did not match. Right now, chemotherapy treatment is continuing again. I was very excited on the way to the transplant, to be able to give my child hope again. They had prepared my room the night before; when I went downstairs for the donation in the morning, I was half unconscious, but the first thing that came to my mind was my daughter. There is surely some good in its not matching; it will pass,” she said.
CALL FOR DONORS TO THOSE AGED 18-35
Sencan Bekler made a call for bone marrow donation and said, “We ask people to become donors. By giving a very small amount of blood, they can save a life. They can be a life for us. Blood donation is very important for us. We are waiting for everyone between the ages of 18 and 35 to become donors. A small tube of blood you give can be life for us. That is why we are waiting for everyone to donate blood. Eylül Masal was 5 years old when she came here. She is now 6 years old. We celebrated our birthday here too. Although Eylül Masal does not go to school, she can read and write very well here now and improve her English, but of course there are times when she asks me, ‘Mom, why did this disease find me, why did I get sick?’ Eylül Masal loves dancing very much. Morale is very important in our illness. She dances all day, plays games, and is very motivated. Eylül Masal’s first dream is for herself and all her friends to recover. After they recover, they want to play freely,” she said.
HER BIGGEST DREAM IS TO BECOME A DOCTOR
Eylül Masal Bekler said, “My biggest wish is to become a doctor when I grow up. I am already learning medicine. Every day I have my breakfast, and after that I go to the playroom. I have a very good time with my friends. I dance and sing. When I get better and leave here, I will play games with my friends, go to the park, and go to school. By donating blood so that I can recover, will you be our heroes?”
Haldun Uz, Specialist in Pediatric Hematology and Pediatrics, made a donation call for Eylül Masal and other children, saying, “People need to become bone marrow donors, examine this issue well, and evaluate it well. Because there is no source for this other than humans,” he said.