1 Million Euros Raised In A Day For Sick Infant

by Jeff DonlanKartal Karaman is 10-month-old baby in Turkey who needs an immediate heart transplant surgery. And a social media fundraising campaign is hoping to do just that.On the heels of Kartal’s mother starting a campaign on Instagram asking for support, the effort has gone viral in Turkey, with the family raising almost 1.1 million euros, or more than $1.25 million, for the baby in less than 19 hours.In Turkey, heart transplant surgeries are not conducted on children as young as Kartal, leaving parents with very few options. Were they able to have the procedure in Turkey, finding the resources for an organ transplant is still a challenge, as only one out of every four patients’ families give approval for organ donations in Turkey. There are currently 612 children waiting for organ transplants in Turkey, 70 of whom specifically need a heart transplant. So far, only four of them received the treatment.Aware of these obstacles, Kartal’s family went to Germany to receive treatment. At first, the family covered most of the costs, but it soon became overwhelming, which caused Kartal’s mother, Ahu Karaman, to start the Instagram campaign.Many celebrities and famous sports clubs have supported the effort. Turkish celebrity Şahan Gökbakar shared a bank receipt in the amount of 20,000 Turkish lira, or $5,500, on social media to show how much he donated, and encouraged other people to participate the campaign. With the help of hashtags #KartalBebekİçinKalpNakli and #AherttransplantforbabyKartal, more than 60,000 people contributed to Kartal’s health.Currently, Kartal is in Germany waiting for a donor. The Karaman family released a video thanking everyone for the outpouring of love and generosity, confirming that they now have enough money to cover the surgery.
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