Zeine Seitkul, a 6-year-old girl from Kazakhstan who was diagnosed with lymphoma, has regained her health following six months of intensive treatment in Türkiye. To celebrate her discharge, balloons in the colors of the Kazakh flag were released into the sky in the hospital garden.
Diagnosed with lymphoma in Kazakhstan, Zeine came to Türkiye for treatment and was successfully cured at Hisar Hospital Intercontinental in Istanbul. Her treatment was overseen by associate professor Dr. Oğuzhan Babacan, a Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Specialist, and his team.
Following the successful completion of a six-month intensive chemotherapy process, Zeine was discharged under the supervision of her doctor and family. A meaningful farewell ceremony was organized for her at the hospital. Balloons in yellow and turquoise, the colors of the Kazakh flag, and orange, symbolizing the hospital, were released into the sky with the participation of hospital staff, doctors, nurses and patients.
During the farewell, Zeine expressed her gratitude to the medical team, saying, “My name is Zeine. Thank you so much to Dr. Oğuzhan and to everyone. I want to be a doctor when I grow up.”
Her father, Destan Seitkulov, shared their journey from Kazakhstan to Türkiye for his daughter’s treatment: “We are currently receiving treatment at Hisar Hospital Intercontinental. I am Zeine’s father. Six months ago, her mother and I came to Türkiye for treatment. First of all, I would like to thank everyone. This was a test given to us by God. Before anything else, I thank God. Everyone here was so helpful. The nurses were also very helpful and supportive."
"Even though we are in a foreign country, we never felt like strangers in Türkiye. We were welcomed as if we were in our own home. We experienced the same care and understanding as in our own country, and we encountered no problems. When we first arrived in Türkiye, we visited four or five different hospitals, but our daughter chose this one. Looking back, we see she made the right choice. We simply said, ‘Okay.’ I want to thank Dr. Oğuzhan Babacan once again. He is truly a professional who does his job very well,” he said.
Providing details on Zeine’s medical condition, Babacan explained: “Zeine was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of lymph node cancer, and one of the most common cancers in childhood. She initially presented in February 2024 with a painless swelling on her scalp. What made her case different from other lymphoma cases was the absence of swelling in the lymph nodes. She was diagnosed with lymphoma based on a sample taken in Kazakhstan."
"Due to the atypical nature of the disease, they sought further treatment. The family first went to India, but they did not find the conditions hygienic, and the child didn’t like the food. They then decided to come to Türkiye. After visiting several hospitals, they began treatment at ours. She underwent six months of highly intensive chemotherapy. After the first three months, we performed a PET scan, a full-body tumor imaging method, and found that she had responded completely to treatment. The remaining three months of therapy also went smoothly without complications,” he said.
Babacan emphasized the importance of morale during treatment: “I believe the child’s morale was crucial. The family maintained a very positive attitude and was closely involved in their daughter’s care. They also had excellent communication with our nurses. Thanks to this positive environment, the treatment concluded successfully. We plan to discharge her in about a week so she can return to her home country. She is currently in good health, with no remaining tumor cells or traces of the disease in her body. The rest of her treatment will continue for approximately one and a half years with oral medication. Therefore, there is no need for her to stay in Türkiye. We will continue to monitor her progress remotely from her home country.”
Highlighting Zeine’s story as an example for parents, Babacan added: “Zeine’s journey is a powerful example for other parents. What we observe most frequently is that when parents stay positive, believe in their child’s recovery, guide them well, and provide emotional support, the illness tends to follow a more favorable course. On the other hand, negative thinking can negatively affect the outcome. We’ve seen this time and again, and Zeine is the latest example. Both the child and her family maintained a very positive attitude. Thankfully, the disease was cured successfully.”
Ercan Uais, Kazakhstan’s consul general, also extended his appreciation: “I would like to thank the doctors who treated our little girl Zeine. Thank you for everything. Kazakhstan and the Turkish people stand together in solidarity. I wish good health to us all. May the friendship between Türkiye and Kazakhstan remain eternal.”
