Families seek assistance for disabled relatives in Turkey

Individual families in Turkey are facing significant challenges while providing care for disabled relatives. In Malatya, Sevim Akın is the sole caregiver for three children. Two of her children have congenital physical disabilities, while her youngest, 8-year-old Umut Selim, is bedridden due to Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE), a condition linked to a previous measles infection. Akın has requested assistance from the government and the Ministry of Health to manage the intensive care required in her home.

In Hakkari's Yüksekova district, Dursun Aykut has been caring for his 80-year-old mother, Emine Aykut, for twenty years. Emine lost her ability to walk due to previous illnesses and surgical plates in her feet. Aykut, who often carries his mother to ensure she gets fresh air, is appealing to authorities and philanthropists for a motorized wheelchair to improve her mobility and quality of life.