A Life-Changing Stem Cell Therapy for a 4-Year-Old with Autism in Istanbul

MedClinics Real Stories: Serwan’s Journey to Hope and Healing through Stem Cell Therapy

In May 2024, Düzgün Alpay Brought His Son Şerwan from Germany to Istanbul for Transformative Stem Cell Treatment

Düzgün is originally from Turkey, but has lived in Germany for over 30 years, in Siegen, the southernmost city in North Rhine-Westphalia. The city, which has a total population of around 134,000, is home to over 50,000 people of foreign nationality. Düzgün works in Siegen as a kebab salesman.

His 4-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism. Serwan is very lively and his motor skills are well-developed, but he is not yet able to talk properly and finds it difficult to keep still.

The parents began to look for a suitable therapy for Serwan. They quickly reached their limits in Germany. So the family decided to have the treatment carried out in Turkey.

Here is a summary of our conversation with Düzgün about his trip to Istanbul for Serwan’s stem cell treatment:

We spoke to Düzgün about his journey to the life-changing stem cell therapy his son received in Istanbul, Turkey.

Düzgün, good to see you. It’s very nice of you to take the time for this interview. You look relaxed, you’re doing well. Many of our readers will be following your story with great interest. Let’s start straight away, here’s the first question:

When and why did you decide on stem cell therapy for your son?

My son is now 4 years old and was diagnosted autism. I had heard from friends about stem cell treatment for autism. And that it is supposed to help. Of course, we are trying to find a treatment for our son that works. That’s why I started to find out about it …

Why did you want to have the treatment abroad?

The doctors in Turkey have more experience and take better care of their patients. As I’m originally from Turkey, it made sense to have the treatment here. In addition, stem cell therapy for autism is not yet approved in Germany, it’s still in its early stages.

But the sooner the children are treated, the better the chances of success. They say that stem cell therapy is best between the ages of 3 and 9, as this is when you have the most success. That’s what the professors in Turkey told me. Of course, everyone reacts differently and there is no guarantee, but it is definitely worth a try. And my son is 4 years old now, so he is in the best age for stem cell theraphy.

How did you find out about MedClinics, and what made you decide to book your treatment with us?

As I said, I had started to enquire about stem cell therapy and I really wanted to have it done in Turkey. I had already been in contact with various doctors and clinics and had even made an appointment with one doctor for the stem cell therapy.

Then I came across MedClinics and wrote to them. At first, we only had contact via WhatsApp, but then we spoke on the phone. Heike was very, very convincing and gave me detailed advice and answered all my questions. She has great powers of persuasion and, above all, she gave me detailed information.

I learned that you never use the child’s own stem cells for autistic children, but always use those of a donor. The clinic we ended up at uses stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord. With embryonic stem cells, there is a risk of a tumour developing in the recipient’s body at some point.

The stem cells are examined by GPM-certified laboratories for 14 parameters before they are used in humans. There are probably only 3 or 4 laboratories in Istanbul or in the whole of Turkey that are allowed to do this. I didn’t know any of this beforehand.

MedClinics’ in-depth knowledge and good information convinced me.

Please describe your experience with your patient consultant. Were you treated well? Were all your questions answered? Was someone always available?

Yes, no problem at all. Yes, definitely. My patient consultant was always available and helped us with everything, from the beginning to the end and even afterwards. And she also answered all our questions, always and very patiently.

How did the stem cell therapy go? Can you please describe it briefly?

On the first day, we had an appointment at the clinic for the pre-examinations and to talk to the professor. He explained to us once again exactly what is being done and what the effect of the stem cells is. We watched videos. My wife doesn’t speak Turkish very well, she’s Polish, but our patient consultant from MedClinics translated everything for her.

The next day, the day the stem cell therapy was done, we met at the clinic very early in the morning. As the procedure is performed under light sedation, Serwan was not allowed to eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand. Then venous access had to be inserted, which was very difficult. Serwan cried and struggled a lot and didn’t want to have a needle in his hand, which took quite a long time for the nurses to manage. After that, we had to be careful that he didn’t tear it off again. But the nurses taped it up well, and my wife was also careful, everything went well.

We were allowed to accompany Serwan to the operating room after his blood tests were OK, and the anaesthetist had given the go-ahead. The professor came to our room beforehand and explained everything in detail. There were lots of nurses at the entrance to the operating theatre, and they were all very nice to Serwan and tried to make him laugh. My wife was in tears when he was taken into the operating room, normal for a mother who is separated from her child for the very first time.

It took about half an hour before we were able to see Serwan again, we picked him up outside the operating theatre together with a nurse who drove him to his room. It was a great relief when I saw my son safe and sound again, I was so happy. Likewise, it is anaesthesia after all … He was still a bit weak from the anaesthetic, but recovered quickly. The professor came by again, checked on Serwan and told us that the stem cell therapy had gone well. After a few hours, we were discharged from the hospital and allowed to go home.

Ready to start your journey? Contact MedClinics today for a free, no-obligation consultation and take the first step to come on board!

Was everything as you expected and as it was described to you beforehand?

Yes, everything was exactly as we had been told beforehand. We actually knew precisely what was going to be done when and how it was going to happen. But as parents, you’re still always a bit nervous when your child is in hospital and being treated.

What was your experience of the hospital and the medical staff? Were there any communication problems?

Everyone at the clinic was very nice, friendly and helpful. The people in the hospital don’t speak German, of course, so you need someone to translate. Of course, I had no problems communicating, as I can speak Turkish. My wife can’t speak Turkish very well, but our patient consultant always translated for my wife so that she always knew exactly what was going on.

How was the aftercare provided by MedClinics? Did MedClinics continue to look in on you after the treatment?

Yes, we are still in contact. The aftercare from MedClinics was very good. Our patient consultant kept calling and asking if everything was OK and if we needed any help. Even when we were in Germany, she continued to look after us and asked about Serwan’s progress. We also got advice on nutrition from Serwan, specially translated into her mother tongue for my wife – my wife is Polish, you know.

Do you have any feedback for MedClinics in general? Would you recommend MedClinics to your family and friends?

I can only recommend MedClinics one hundred percent. It was really great, our patient consultant never left us alone for a minute, was always there, always available by phone, always nice, always friendly.

MedClinics is very professional, competent and doesn’t make promises it can’t keep. They give open and honest answers. I can really only recommend them to my family and all my friends and acquaintances. We are already planning our next visit to Istanbul for Serwan to have stem cell therapy, again with MedClinics of course.

What would you recommend to someone considering stem cell therapy?

Don’t wait too long, it’s best to have it done as soon as you’ve decided. Find out exactly what you need to know beforehand. There are many clinics that are not so honest and are only out to sell the stem cell therapy. Again, I can only recommend MedClinics, where you will get the best information and, above all, honest information. We are more than satisfied and will come again to do the next session of stem cell therapy for Serwan.

Call MedClinics, you will be in the best hands.

If you don’t mind, we would like to put some pictures of you and your family on this page, would this be OK for you?

Yes, of course, feel free to do so.

Thank you, Düzgün, for sharing your Stem Cell journey with us

As you are already planning the next stem cell therapy for your son, you must be really well satisfied. We wish you all the best for Serwan and hope that he will get much better very soon and have many improvements.

For those who are inspired by Düzgün’s story, remember that your path to a better life could be just a phone call away. Anyone interested in finding out more about Düzgün’s stem cell therapy in Istanbul can contact MedClinics.
Get a free consultation and a no-obligation quote now!

Stay Updated

Follow our blog for the latest in medical and aesthetic treatments, tips for maintaining healthy teeth, and inspiring patient success stories.