'One decision changed my Life!'

Pelin was born as healthy as her two older sisters. Her parents were incredibly happy and grateful to hold that little bundle of joy in their arms. Since Pelin’s mom was a nurse, they had given birth in the hospital she was working at and little baby girl got extra attention and care. “The baby seems to be cold, let’s warm her up in the incubator” suggested a nurse friend and Pelin’s mom agreed looking forward to get a little rest from labor. No one will ever fully understand how this could happen but it did: Pelin slips from the nurse’s arms and the woman can only catch her from her arm. The baby’s arm is injured to the point that she cannot use it anymore and the right side of her face is damaged too.

The whole family goes through a serious shock. Lawyers, doctors and therapists are on the weekly schedule. When Pelin is 3 years old, she undergoes her first operation. At the age of 6, the doctors place a platinum plate in her arm which has to be removed again 4 years later. Pelin is not allowed to eat or drink 12 hours before the operation. At the hospital, they make the 10 years old wait for an other 12 hours without food or any liquid. Finally they take her to surgery. The operation that usually takes 2 hours lasts for 6 hours and they break Pelin’s wrist. It seems like the little girl has to live with a short arm that she cannot move properly. Every day there are people asking her: “What’s wrong with your arm?”

Last year, Pelin subscribed to a latin dance course. “Of course I wasn’t using my arm like the others, I was dancing though”, she says. But after a while she lost her self confidence again and got very frustrated. “I felt depressed and stuffed myself with unhealthy food to numb the pain.” Pelin realises that the only one that can make her happy is herself. “This is when I saw you for the first time on a TV show”, she explains. She bought my book and started following me on Instagram. (I actually noticed her because she was one of the people who would like all my posts.) Pelin remembers how down she felt these days: “I had given up on myself. I had vaguely tried to become fit a couple of times but failed miserably.”

On her birthday on 8th December (which happens to be my birthday too!) Pelin offers herself the most beautiful present: She makes peace with her body.

The next two months are not easy but Pelin doesn’t give up. She eats healthy and works out. She walks one hour on the tread mill every day, does pilates and sometimes yoga before she goes to university. She starts her day with white omelette and lots of greens and carries lunch to school in tupperwear.

Pelin’s doctor plans two more operations on her arm. He says that the tingling she has been feeling is a good sign and that a nerve root transplantation will allow her to start using her arm. I love her doctor’s approach. He said: “It’s all in your head. If you want to use your arm, you will!”

I am so proud of you Pelin. And it is exactly as you wrote to me in your e-mail: “After having hit rock bottom and pulling myself out of the darkness, there is nothing I wouldn’t be able do!” I am convinced that I will read in international newspapers about that Turkish girl who became a genetic engineer and conquered the world. You go girl!