30.06.2025 17:50
Mekiye Zümrüt, who donated a kidney to her son about 1.5 years ago in Diyarbakır, achieved second and third place at the Turkey Open WAKO World Cup held in Antalya. Speaking about the experience, Zümrüt said, "I have shown that organ transplantation does not hinder sports. My friends said, 'You have become a half person, you can't do this sport.' I proved the opposite."
The female athlete from Diyarbakır, who donated her kidney to her son, achieved second place in the Turkey Open WAKO World Cup.
GREAT SUCCESS FROM MEKIYE ZUMRUT
49-year-old Mekiye Zümrüt, a mother of two boys living in Diyarbakır, wanted to improve herself in kickboxing, which caught her interest while taking her son to learn taekwondo. Zümrüt registered to practice this sport in 2008.
Attending the course on certain days of the week, Zümrüt became a coach in 2021 by learning kickboxing thanks to her determination and perseverance.
THEY SAID YOU CAN'T DO SPORTS WITH ONE KIDNEY
Mekiye Zümrüt donated her kidney to her 12-year-old son Taha Zümrüt, who was diagnosed with kidney failure, about 1.5 years ago. Despite those around her saying, "You can't do this sport with one kidney," Zümrüt continued to teach students in the gym and consulted organ transplant doctors to continue coaching with her single kidney.
Mekiye Zümrüt participated in the Turkey Open WAKO World Cup held in Antalya from May 14-18, with 4,000 athletes from 41 countries, achieving second and third place in the veterans category at 55 kg.
'I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE UP ON SPORTS'
Mekiye Zümrüt told AA reporter that she continues to work hard to achieve success under the national team jersey.
Recalling that her son's two kidneys were damaged after heart surgery, Zümrüt stated that she donated one of her kidneys to her son about 1.5 years ago.
Expressing that she continued to engage in sports after this process, Zümrüt said, "I showed that organ transplantation does not hinder sports. After the organ transplant, I realized that I could maintain my life with one kidney. I didn't want to give up on sports. My friends said, 'You have become half a person, you can't do this sport.' I proved the opposite. My whole body works with one kidney, and I showed that I can do this job. Meanwhile, I am especially preparing girls in the gym for competitions."
Describing the happiness of achieving a degree in the organization in Antalya, Zümrüt stated that she continues to work to be part of the national team, saying, "As a mother, I showed that I can do this job without neglecting my children and my students in the gym with one kidney. From now on, I want to wave our flag in international matches and prepare my students for championships."
'I HOPE SHE BECOMES A WORLD CHAMPION'
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramazan Danış, Director of the Organ Transplant Center at Diyarbakır Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital, stated that they successfully transplanted the kidney taken from the mother to Taha, who is experiencing kidney failure.
Stating that both the mother and son's health condition is good after the operation, Danış noted the following:
"Seeing Mekiye Zümrüt warms our hearts. She is quite healthy. She follows our advice and her eyes are smiling because both she and her child are happy. When she is happy, we are happy too. She is an example that disproves the notion of being half a person by donating a kidney. Undoubtedly, there are risks associated with donating a kidney. Donating a kidney does not mean being half a person. The best example of this is Mekiye, who became the world second in kickboxing. I hope Mekiye becomes the world champion and strengthens our thesis even more. Still, those who donate kidneys need to be more careful."