10.07.2024 13:31
In Ankara, 10-year-old Tunahan, who was severely injured in an attack by stray dogs while going to school in December last year, was discharged from the hospital after a total of 25 surgeries. Tunahan, whose wounds have healed and can walk and talk, has become housebound due to the trauma he experienced. The little child, struggling with the psychological effects of the incident, does not want to go outside, and avoids his friends and neighbors.
The 4th grade student Tunahan Yılmaz, who lives in the capital city Ankara, was severely injured in a street dog attack on December 7th last year while going to school in Kafkaslar neighborhood of Keçiören district. After undergoing consecutive surgeries at Hacettepe University Medical Faculty Hospital for 3 months, Tunahan was discharged in March, but the treatment process continued. On June 26th, Tunahan underwent his 15th major operation at the same hospital, where he received a skin transplant. After a surgery that lasted about 13 hours, Tunahan, whose wounds have largely healed, can walk and speak again, but he is now struggling with the psychological effects of the incident. Tunahan, who does not want to go outside and locks himself at home, also avoids his friends and neighbors who come to visit him.
"HE UNDERWENT HIS BIGGEST SURGERY" Tunahan's father Halil Yılmaz said that Tunahan's last surgery lasted for 12 hours and 45 minutes, and stated, "His condition is quite good at the moment. He will have another surgery after 3 months. This was his biggest and riskiest surgery. He went through more difficult processes, but this surgery was very challenging for us. We searched for blood for a long time. We are not against animals. Everyone can keep their animals on the streets, at home, or wherever they want. They can walk their dogs on the streets with a leash. We are also animal lovers, but we hope that no parent will ever experience what we went through in 8 months. Everyone should take responsibility here. Children are our future. Our only request is that there are no stray dogs on the streets. Yesterday, 4 dogs passed by here again. Our children can't even go to the grocery store alone anymore because of these dogs. I can't send my children alone to school or the park anymore," he said.
"HE UNDERWENT 20-25 SURGERIES WHEN YOU SAY BIG AND SMALL" Yılmaz, who explained that Tunahan was fed with skin for 3 months, said, "Tunahan had no muscles in his body. They made a balloon feeding on his back and grew his flesh. They took the skin from there and injected it into his head for a skin transplant. It was a very difficult process. Even Tunahan's medical reports cannot accurately state the exact number of bites he received. All muscle areas were scraped down to the bone after the attack. Tunahan's survival itself is a miracle. God granted him to us. So far, he has undergone 15 major surgeries. When you say big and small, he has undergone approximately 20-25 surgeries," he said.
"HE STILL HAS PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS" Yılmaz stated that the doctors generally say that Tunahan's health condition is good and added, "For the first time in 8 months, his eating and drinking have been good for the past 3-4 days. He didn't eat before, he only took a few bites, he couldn't walk. He is doing quite well now. He only has psychological problems. Sometimes he doesn't keep track of the days. He is mostly aggressive and irritable. When he sees dogs from the window, he counts the dogs. If he saw the dogs that night, he definitely doesn't turn off the light. He says, 'Keep the light on,' dad. He is afraid and wants it to be bright when it gets dark. He gets very scared. A child who loves animals so much says, 'I don't want animals.' We want the necessary regulations regarding the new arrangement. We just want the streets to be safe. Hopefully, Tunahan will be the last one," he said.