CYPRUS: Turkish Cypriot donates bone marrow to save child in Greece

A Turkish Cypriot bone marrow donor has given hope to a child in Greece who was in urgent need of a transplant.

Hasan Yasakurt underwent an operation at the Famagusta Medical Centre and the transplant has been sent to the Greek hospital were the child is been treated.

There were no further details about the identity of the child in Greece.

Yasakurt was identified as a compatible donor for the child through a database of donors which was created 20 years ago by the ‘Kemal Saracoglu’ foundation.

The Kemal Saracoglu Foundation was set up in 2001, by the father of a young boy who lost his battle with leukaemia.

Kemal was one of two children for whom a bicommunal campaign was launched in 1999-2000 to find a compatible donor. The other child was Greek Cypriot Andreas.

The campaign was conducted on both sides of the divide joining Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in what is remembered as one of the largest ever bi-communal actions, and this was before the crossings opened.

When Kemal passed away, his father promised to set up a donor centre in the Turkish Cypriot community. In 2001 the Kemal Saracoglu Foundation was created in memory of young Kemal.

According to an announcement issued by the foundation Yasakurt was more than happy to donate his bone marrow to the Greek child.

"My only wish is for the child in Greece to get better. No one should be afraid of becoming a bone marrow donor," said Yasakurt.

The foundation has a list of 45,000 donors, of which 65 have so far been found to be compatible, it cooperates with the Karaiskakio Foundation in identifying donors for children with leukaemia and other cancers.