“A Father Fighting for Life in the Shadow of Diseases”
63-year-old Galip Erkeyha was born and raised in Tosya, a district of Kastamonu. However, since 1995, he has been living in Istanbul. Married and the father of one daughter, Galip now lives with his family. His wife and daughter are his greatest sources of support. Although retired, he worked in many different professions throughout his life. Most recently, he worked as a real estate consultant. Previously, he held roles ranging from truck driver to shopkeeper. But Galip’s true struggle hasn’t just been about work—it’s a powerful story of survival against a long list of serious health issues.
Galip Erkeyha’s health was shaken by diabetes that started in childhood but was only diagnosed after marriage. His wife, Safiye Hanım, was a nurse at the time. Sudden outbursts of anger, intense sleepiness after meals, and incessant thirst made her suspect something was not wrong.With his consent, she took a blood sample at home and sent it to the lab. The results were serious: Galip’s diabetes was advanced. That day, medication began, but the real battle had just started. “I didn’t know how much my life would change then,” Galip says. Over the years, diabetes wasn’t just a disease—it was a harbinger of many other illnesses.Born and raised in
Tosya, Kastamonu, Galip grew up eating the region’s famous rice. Rice dishes were a staple at his family table. However, years later, he realized those delicious meals were his greatest enemy. “Rice spiked my sugar suddenly. I shouldn’t have eaten it, but its smell reminded me of my childhood,” he says, averting his gaze. injections, sugar crashes, sudden spikes, sweet cravings, and subsequent nausea became ordinary parts of his life. Over time, these crises wore him down not only physically but also psychologically.
“A Father Fighting for Life in the Shadow of Diseases”
This long journey peaked in 2017 with kidney failure. When doctors told him he needed dialysis, Galip said his world collapsed. A test had been done earlier which detected kidney failure risk, but no treatment was given. “I wasn’t given a chance,” he says, eyes full of tears.
“I used to go to the cinema, the theater... I would barbecue on picnics. Now, I don’t even have the energy to go to the grocery store,” he says quietly. He misses his truck driving days the most. Now he can’t even drive a car. “I can’t even drive myself to the hospital anymore. That steering wheel feels so far away now.” On days when he is too weak to walk to dialysis, his wife Safiye Hanım accompanies him as his caregiver, supporting and waiting with him during his treatments.
Starting dialysis devastated him mentally. He had to receive psychological support. Now, he lives with sessions three times a week, each lasting four hours. His blood is cleaned by a machine and returned to his body. The process is so exhausting that after dialysis days, he sleeps until noon the next day.
High blood pressure and diabetes caused ruptures in the blood vessels of his eyes. He suffered multiple hemorrhages and underwent several surgeries. Eventually, he completely lost vision in one eye, and could only see 5% with the other. After a recent surgery, this improved to about 20%, but it’s still insufficient.
The events of 2020 marked a turning point. What started as an earache developed into a threatening infection. The infection spread to his skull, dangerously close to his brain. The surgery was very risky. Doctors openly said, “This patient will die in pain.” He underwent three surgeries in total. Four bones were removed from his skull. A tumor was extracted. He spent seven months hospitalized at Çapa Medical Faculty. He was treated with strong antibiotics. Throughout this ordeal, his biggest supporter was his wife Safiye Hanım. And then there is the famous “broken wallet” story…
The day he begged the doctor for surgery, Safiye Hanım took out her wallet, and the coins inside spilled to the floor. Since she regularly used the hospital vending machines, the wallet was full of small change. “The doctor thought she had no money and his eyes filled with tears,” Galip says. Soon after, the doctor decided: “Prepare the patient, he will have surgery tomorrow.” Galip laughs and adds, “My surgery happened thanks to my wife’s broken wallet.”
In 2019, he suffered a heart attack. Then, a blood clot formed in his brain. He experienced facial paralysis; one of his eyes couldn’t close. His mental health was shattered. He underwent physical therapy for two years.In 2025, he suffered two more heart attacks and two more brain clots. He stayed in intensive care for one month. Doctorclearly said, “He might die.” But Galip was not afraid. At least, not for himself. “I wasn’t afraid for myself, but I feared my daughter would be fatherless,” he says with tears in his eyes.That same year, his heart vessels became blocked, and within four days, he received seven stents.
Additionally, he struggled with kidney stones, had his gallbladder removed, and suffered from intestinal issues. He now lives with 95% disability. But his greatest disability is not his body — it’s the spirit worn out by all he has endured
He still undergoes dialysis regularly. He takes dozens of medications daily. Stomach sensitivity, vision loss, heart stents, kidney failure, missing bones in his skull, facial paralysis… The list goes on. “I am very tired now,” he says with a deep sigh.
But it’s not only illness that hurts him; social indifference wounds him deeply too. He faces ongoing disputes with neighbors over parking. Despite his disability, they deliberately block the back of his car. They even hinder ambulance access when he is taken to the emergency room at night, despite knowing his condition. He feels as if they want him dead. “Doctors tell me to avoid stress, but life won’t let me,” he says.
"Hope Is Always There"
Today, despite all his illnesses, Galip Erkeyha stands tall. But he is tired. Still, he hasn’t lost hope. “People realize the value of health only after losing it,” he says. “Don’t be sad, don’t lose your hope. Hope is always there.”
This is his story—not just a chain of illnesses, but a life that hurts at every turn but is resurrected. The story of a man who learned to walk again after every surgery, who held on to life from another place after every diagnosis, who looked for a small hope in every pain. Sometimes he got back on his feet with the patience of a wife, sometimes with the silent prayer of a daughter, and sometimes with just his instinct to survive. Sometimes his eyes could not see, sometimes his heart could not stand, but he never gave up.
His life isn’t a list of illnesses; it’s a story of resistance. His greatest strength is his wife Safiye , who has devoted years to him, and their daughter who stands by his side every step of the way.
