Struggling with the childhood cancer, each child was a small hero or heroine in the New Year activity; the children met their families at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital, had fun to repletion and gathered strength. Ecem April Onutman, 19 y.o, who is the Model of Models of Turkiye in 2022 following many successes after she was diagnosed with lymphoma when 16, met these kids in this very special occasion… Ecem talked about her experience, at the bottom of her heart, while fighting off the cancer and she also gave very important messages to the little patients. Here you are statements and messages of Ecem, her mother - Aylin Arat - and her doctor Professor Cengiz Canpolat…
She was the winner of Model of Models contest organized in Turkiye in 2022, but the story does not end here. She was awarded the 3rd Prize in “Miss Supertalent of the World in Paris”, she is a freshman in a school of law and she is preparing for a single recording… Now, Ecem April Onutman with a frank smile on her face is 19 years old and enjoying her breezy adolescence, but she was only 16 when diagnosed with lymphoma, a very common childhood cancer. When an abnormal shadow was noted in her chest cavity on the chest X-ray scanned to investigate the etiology of cough and nocturnal sweating, she was brought to Professor of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Cengiz Canpolat, M.D., from Acibadem Altunizade Hospital and Ecem was, unfortunately, diagnosed with Grade 3 lymphoma. Since there were only several days to the New Year, Professor Cengiz Canpolat planned a treatment program allowed Ecem to have fun at the New Year’s holidays ; and the planned treatment was started few days after.
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She had always made Ecem laugh even at the hospital room!
Aylin Arat, her mother, and Kıvanç Onutman, her father, had to witness the worst moments of Ecem in this difficult period of time, but they had always kept smiling despite their tremendous sorrow. Moreover, they had always instilled hope to Ecem and they strictly avoided from negative emotions. Her mother could manage to keep her chuckling at home and hospital room. “We had always strictly relief on our Professor and we had never lost our belief that we would defeat her disease. We had always made best efforts to keep smiling despite all difficulties in chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I had devoted myself to Ecem. I was also using a computer to deal with my works at the hospital room. Our friends had never denied their support. The tumor has gradually shrunk, as shown by PET images acquired following each chemotherapy cycle, and finally, we were all champions.
Ecem was also acting like a grown up since her childhood. It was not hard for her to accept her condition, she did not give up and she had always been tall in the saddle” says Aylin Arat, who recommends that the families should never lose their hope and they should not spare hearted smile from their children. Aylin Arat has a very important message: “Initially, you are shocked and you consider why it happened to our child, but I could also cope with this thought; since the good surprises do not cause us thin “Why me?” I should not ask “Why me?” also in bad events. This way of thinking helps you calm down a bit. They should never give up; they should always smile and make their children smile. Because our children use the energy we reflect to them.”
She grabbed the health with both hands! She undersigned her story of success!
“I believe that positive mood is so significant to fight off the disease” says Ecem, who had always enriched her dreams and kept herself motivated in the difficult process. Now, she is feeling the rightful happiness and proud of riding high while defeating the cancer and enjoying every single moment of the life. “I had taken off the gloves for being a model that I had dreamed of since I was a child soon after I was healthy enough to pursue my dreams. However, I gained too much weight due to cortisone component of the treatment; my body weight was 84 kg. I managed to lose 24 kg with diet and exercises and I got cat walk training for being a model.
I heard about the Model of Models contest while being educated and trained in the model academy and I jointed the contest upon insistent motivations of my social circle. I was awarded the First Prize in Turkiye. Next, I got the 3rd Prize in the Miss Supertalent of the World at global scale in Paris. I am still a model, but I am also a freshman in the school of law. I want to be awarded the law diploma. My single will be produced soon that is arranged by Mr. Özkan Turgay; I will sing a Bosnian song in the single. Since I love music, I also took scene and sang in the year-end shows for many years in the high school. I am getting even with the disease; I have my fling, but I try to do significant works.” Ecem, who was born in the U.S. and she has been living in Turkiye since she was 3, expresses her appreciation to Professor Cengiz Canpolat, who had, somewhat, gifted a new life to her, and all other people, who had helped her to overcome this difficult process, and she adds that she grabs the health with both hands by having routine examination once a year.
The Families should never hold out of hope!
Stating that the treatment of Ecem is successfully completed, Professor Cengiz Canpolat, M.D., adds that the families should never be beaten by hopelessness and desperation, as there is always a chance of cure. Expressing that the treatment is personalized and planned according to the prognosis of the lymphoma, a very common childhood cancer, Professor of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Cengiz Canpolat adds: “Ecem had never been hopeless at any phase of the treatment; she always believed in the cure strongly and finally, we got the targeted treatment response at an early phase and we ensured a complete success. The families should never give away to despair and they should always motivate their children. There is always a hope, a chance of cure. A process that seems like a story of frustration can be easily transformed into a story of success. Although there is risk of recurrence, there is still chance of cure.” Expressing that common childhood cancers include lymphoma, leukemia, brain tumor and soft tissue sarcoma, Professor Cengiz Canpolat, M.D., clarifies that the families should observe their children well and visit a doctor immediately after they notice an abnormality.
They had fun to repletion in the New Year Party!
The children, who are maintained on anti-cancer treatment, and their parents visited Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul this time for an extraordinary event; a New Year party. Fighting the childhood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumor and soft tissue sarcoma, these small heroes and heroines had fun to the repletion by singing songs and playing games in a fairy world-like environment. They welcomed 2023 with clowns, balloons and New Year cake in this party, where Ecem April Onutman gave many gifts to them; moreover, Sera Turgay, the daughter of Özkan Turgay, took the stage to sing for them.
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