• A first in Türkiye: Successful transplant performed for a disease with only 70 reported cases worldwide
• Four-and-a-half-year-old Alperen, born with a rare blood disorder, successfully underwent a bone marrow transplant for the first time in Türkiye at AFSU Hospital
• Covering an area of approximately 30,000 square meters, AFSU Hospital stands out in the field of pediatric hematology-oncology with advanced treatment facilities such as bone marrow transplantation, therapeutic apheresis, and stem cell processing

May 12, 2026

Four-and-a-half-year-old Alperen, who has been battling pyruvate kinase deficiency — a rare blood disorder with only around 70 reported cases worldwide — found hope through his older sister.

Thanks to the successful bone marrow transplant performed at Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University (AFSU), which has become notable in pediatric hematology-oncology through advanced treatment capabilities such as bone marrow transplantation, therapeutic apheresis, and stem cell processing, Alperen no longer requires regular blood transfusions. The procedure also marks the first successful bone marrow transplant in Türkiye for this disease.

With its specialized healthcare structure, advanced technological treatment infrastructure, and multidisciplinary approach, AFSU has become one of the prominent centers particularly in the field of pediatric hematology-oncology.

The center, which serves in an area of approximately 30,000 square meters, houses radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, hematology-oncology units, intensive care units, operating rooms, bone marrow transplant units, a therapeutic apheresis center, and a stem cell processing, freezing, and storage center within the same complex.

Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Eker, Head of the Division of Pediatric Hematology at the AFSU Faculty of Medicine and Deputy Chief Physician, stated that he had been involved in the planning process of the center from the very beginning, saying: “Being appointed here while this building was still under construction contributed greatly to ensuring that this complex, planned as a hematology-oncology center, was structured in line with its intended purpose.”

Emphasizing that the center prioritizes not only medical treatment but also psychosocial support, Eker said: “Fortunately, our center’s physical facilities are extremely good. We have excellent facilities such as a children’s living room, a mothers’ living room, a primary school classroom, a procedure room where children receive anesthesia, a kitchen, and a cinema hall. Through regular activities, we strive to keep our children engaged in life and to improve both their and their families’ motivation, thereby enabling the treatment process to proceed much more positively.”

Eker noted that the happier the children and their families are, the more positively the treatment process progresses.

- “Pediatric hematology-oncology is a challenging but special field”

AFSU Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Specialist Dr. Şifa Şahin stated that pediatric hematology-oncology is a challenging but spiritually rewarding field.

Şahin said: “Unfortunately, it had become a field that physicians tend to avoid and choose less often. But once you become involved and touch a patient’s life, it truly becomes a field that makes you say, ‘I’m so glad I chose this specialty.’”

Highlighting the center’s strong infrastructure, Şahin stated: “Our center is capable of finding the right place, specialty, and treatment for every disease.”

Stressing that pediatric hematology-oncology should be supported, Şahin said: “This is where life truly unfolds. As pediatric hematology-oncologists, you will never hear anyone say, ‘I wish I hadn’t chosen this field.’”

- “We do not provide only medical care”

Gamze Kıymık, Supervising Nurse of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, also emphasized the importance of teamwork in the pediatric hematology-oncology service.

Stating that she has worked at the center for 11 years, Kıymık said: “It is a challenging specialty for both physicians and nurses. But for nurses, it is also a field where we can feel fulfilled and useful.”

Kıymık also noted that they provide psychological support to both children and their families.

- The success of Alperen’s transplant

Four-and-a-half-year-old Alperen Karakuyu, treated at the AFSU Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Center, became one of the center’s notable patients. Alperen, who had been struggling since birth with a rare blood disorder known as pyruvate kinase deficiency, underwent a fully matched bone marrow transplant from his six-year-old sister.

Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Eker explained: “The condition we call pyruvate kinase deficiency is a disorder caused by the lack of enzymes that protect and provide energy to red blood cells, shortening their lifespan and requiring regular blood transfusions.”

Drawing attention to the different mutation identified in Alperen, Eker said: “We determined that this enzyme was completely absent and had no function at all. Since he would not respond to drugs still in the experimental stage for this condition, he either had to receive regular blood transfusions throughout his life or undergo a bone marrow transplant.”

Stating that the decision for transplantation was made together with the family, Eker said: “He also had a fully matched sibling donor. We performed the bone marrow transplant using his sister’s marrow, and fortunately the process went very successfully.”

Providing information about the post-transplant process, Eker stated: “We are currently in the fourth month following the transplant, and he no longer needs any blood transfusions. At this point, his sister’s bone marrow is functioning completely and effectively. Alperen is the first patient in our country to undergo a bone marrow transplant due to this disease. Worldwide, there are only around 70 reported cases.”

- Gratitude from the family of AML patient Taha

Zehra Öz, the mother of Taha Yasin, who is being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), stated that they received tremendous support from doctors and healthcare workers throughout the process. Öz said: “Since there was no pediatric oncology department in Kütahya, we were referred here. Our professor accepted us, and we continued our treatment.”

Expressing that the treatment process has progressed positively, Öz said: “Thanks to Professor İbrahim and Professor Şifa, our process has been going well. The hospital environment, the attitude of the nurses, and the efforts of our doctors are all extremely valuable to us.”