Donate to the Make a Wish Association and bring smiles to children’s face

I Know Make A Wish Well from My Days at TİDER (Basic Needs Association) At events that I also attended, Make A Wish (Bir Dilek Tut Derneği) always had familiar faces at their booths. Whenever multiple NGOs gathered at such events, I would make it a point to stop by and chat with them.

Every nonprofit organization has a special mission. But whenever I thought about Make A Wish’s mission, my heart would beat faster. Imagine fulfilling the wishes of children, our most precious ones—who are seriously ill, facing an uncertain future. How wonderful must it be to make those tiny hearts and smiling faces happy, right?

Some children, after their wishes come true, find the strength to cling to life, and this positive motivation boosts their fight against deadly illnesses. Thinking about this, I did something I normally would never do.

My Bedridden Illness

Last Thursday, I felt a slight malaise. By Friday, I suddenly got very sick. I went to an ENT doctor who diagnosed an upper respiratory tract infection. He prescribed medication and sent me home to rest for a few days.

I don’t think I mentioned before that I recently started a master’s program in Engineering and Technology Management at Bosphorus University. In this program, especially on Saturdays, we have classes from morning till evening. Even though I had a midterm exam the next day, I couldn’t make it to school—I was bedridden.

Normally, I should have rested all day Sunday as well. But since I had launched a campaign for Make A Wish, I felt obligated to go. After all, fulfilling the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses (mostly cancer) and giving them positive motivation to hold on to life is a sacred mission for me.

An Unexpected Long Wait

Knowing this, despite being bedridden in the morning, with pain all over my body, a force lifted me out of bed, and I headed straight to the race venue. My driver, Münir Bey, who’s been working with me for 18 years, kindly came early, walked my dogs, and then drove me as close as possible to the first bridge where the Istanbul Marathon is held. My head was throbbing, my stomach was upset, I had a constant urge to cough, and my chest was rattling—but that force made me get out of the car at Beylerbeyi and walk to the bridge. Around 8:35 a.m., I found a spot among the 15K runners. Since I was sick, I waited in a corner away from everyone. Honestly, I thought it would take just an hour: I’d meet the Make A Wish officials, take some photos with them, and then head back home.

The photo I asked a runner to take when I first arrived at the race start on the bridge. I’m wearing multiple layers.

My plans didn’t go as expected. I didn’t realize there were so many runners and so many categories. First, at 8:45 a.m., the wheelchair racers started. Then at 9:00, the marathoners running 42 km took off. Around 9:20 (a bit delayed), the first 15K group started. I thought they’d start the 15K race, then I’d find the Make A Wish officials among the corporate runners behind the pack, start the process, and within half an hour, take photos on the bridge and return home.

Believe it or not, there were actually three separate 15K categories. I’d never seen this before; maybe it wasn’t like this in previous years, but I always started among the front 15K runners and finished before 10:30. After crossing the finish line, I’d head straight to the boat that brings our İstanbul running group. Having three separate 15K categories means the fastest runners start at the front. Then every half hour (due to the large number of runners), the next categories started: the first at 9:20, the second around 9:50, and the third at 10:20. Waiting in the cold from 8:35, you can imagine how impatient I was. Thank God I dressed warmly with many layers and wisely kept my clothes on until after taking photos on the bridge. Even after the last category started, I waited another 20 minutes before removing layers. By around 10:30, all 15K runners had crossed the bridge, and they began to let the corporate runners, including those from Make A Wish, closer to where I was.

A snapshot I took while 15K runners were being sent to the start area by category. The last category was waiting for the race to begin.

Finding Make A Wish Was Not Easy              

Meanwhile, I was texting with my running group and trying to spot Make A Wish among thousands of people on site. Groups with big balloons stood out, but our Make A Wish had small lollipop-shaped banners that were invisible in such a crowd. I messaged to ask which balloon they were near. They said Zurich Insurance. I could see Zurich’s big balloon nearby but didn’t see Make A Wish when they passed in front of me.

To help you visualize, I was trying hard to find Make A Wish’s officials and volunteers in this huge crowd.

I asked again, and this time they said they were by Ali Raif Pharmaceuticals, just in front of Zurich Insurance. Trusting my instincts, I moved forward quickly through the crowd and finally spotted Ali Raif’s balloon. Approaching, I found Make A Wish’s staff and volunteers, and at the back, I saw the association’s CEO, Özlem Hanım. I went straight over to greet her. After introductions to other officials, we waited a while, then started walking toward the bridge. On the way, I received useful information from the friend managing the wish-fulfillment operations.

Before heading toward the bridge after finding the Make A Wish officials, they made us wait a bit at the site. During that time, the association’s photographer took a photo of me. You can clearly see from my face how tired and sick I was. Still, I was determined to show my support.

Useful Data from the Association

According to their info:

The average cost to fulfill a wish is 30,000 TRY.

Each year, about 15,000 children in Turkey are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

Last year, they fulfilled the wishes of 215 children. This year, they aim to exceed that by granting 240 wishes.

So far, no child’s wish has gone unfulfilled.

The process begins when doctors and nurses notify the association about children diagnosed with life-threatening diseases. They then visit hospitals to meet the children, chat with them, and ask about their wishes. The children’s most urgent wishes are identified and prioritized.

Meeting celebrities is just one example of hundreds of wishes.

Shortly after this conversation, at about halfway across the bridge going from Europe to Anatolia, we stopped to take a group photo that turned out beautifully.After the photo, I asked the CEO for permission and left. I asked road authorities on the bridge for the shortest way to Beylerbeyi, then quickly walked there and got back to Münir Bey’s car to return home

On my way back, just before descending to Beylerbeyi junction, I took this photo. Here, you can see the crowd gathering for the noon public run at 12:00 p.m. Honestly, I didn’t know the Istanbul Eurasia Marathon events ran from early morning until midday; now I do.

On the way back, we hit heavy traffic because the first bridge was closed, and all vehicles were diverted to the second bridge. So, leaving home at 7:30 a.m., I didn’t get back until 1:30 p.m.