Children and Their Families to Gather at Haliç University During Children with Leukemia Week

The second day of the events organized by Bizim Lösemili Çocuklar Foundation, the organization that founded our University, as part of Children with Leukemia Week, observed from November 2 to 8, will take place at Haliç University on November 3. Featuring expert talks, musical performances, meetings with students, and a hands-on culinary workshop, the program will offer children and their families an enjoyable day.

Throughout Children with Leukemia Week, November 2-8, Bizim Lösemili Çocuklar Foundation will bring children and their families together at four different locations across Istanbul. The program will begin on November 2 at Atatürk Airport National Garden and continue at our University on November 3.

Aiming to support children undergoing treatment for leukemia not only throughout their treatment processes but also in their participation in social life, while raising public awareness of leukemia, the program brings together informative and social activities.

The program at our University will begin with opening remarks. Throughout the day, topics such as nutrition during treatment and psychological well-being will be addressed by experts in their respective fields. In addition to talks designed to help families access accurate information and find answers to their questions, the program will also feature a violin performance, musical performances, and a mascot show.

As part of the event, children will meet with Haliç University students and share their personal stories. The program will conclude with a hands-on culinary workshop, in which children will participate together with their families under the guidance of chefs.

Kemal Bilal Aydın, Chairman of the Board of Bizim Lösemili Çocuklar Foundation, emphasized in his remarks on the Children with Leukemia Week events that the recovery process is not limited to the hospital setting, stating:

“Since 1980, as a foundation, we have stood by children fighting leukemia and their families. Recovery does not take place only in a hospital room. A child playing with friends, touching the soil, listening to music, or cheering for their team in the stands is also taking part in the journey toward recovery.

The program we have prepared for Children with Leukemia Week is a reflection of this understanding. We bring our children together with nature, art, sports, and the students of Haliç University, which we founded. We also attach great importance to ensuring that our families have access to accurate information from experts throughout the treatment process and can support one another through solidarity.

When we say ‘Our Children Can Succeed,’ we do not use it merely as a slogan; we say it as a reality we witness every day. Our children deserve to be recognized for their dreams, talents, and achievements, not their illnesses. We invite all segments of society to stand by our children throughout this week.”

Nurkan Karabulut, General Manager of the Foundation, stated that the program had been designed as both an informative initiative and a social gathering, adding:

“This week, we will meet with our children and their families at four different locations. We have planned the program to bring together talks where families can receive answers to their questions from experts and activities that will allow our children to enjoy themselves. We would like to thank Haliç University, in particular, as well as all the institutions hosting and supporting the program and our volunteers.”

In addition to the gathering at our University, the Children with Leukemia Week program will continue with various social and cultural activities.

The first day of events, which will begin with a family breakfast on November 2 at Atatürk Airport National Garden, will offer children the opportunity to play board games, experience flying a drone, and visit the “Master Hands” area, where the works of artists and craftspeople will be exhibited. Children will also meet animal friends and personally harvest produce grown from heirloom seeds. At the end of the day, they will take part in the “Balloons of Hope” event and a prize draw.

On November 4, children and their families will board the Valide Sultan Ferry from the Üsküdar waterfront and embark on a cruise along the Bosphorus. Accompanied by refreshments of simit and tea, the tour will introduce the Bosphorus’s historical and cultural landmarks with the guidance of a tour guide. The cruise will conclude with a musical performance and commemorative photographs.

At the final event of the week, children and their families will share in the excitement of basketball by watching the Anadolu Efes-Paris Basketball EuroLeague game from the stands at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center.

Emphasizing that children undergoing treatment for leukemia need not only healthcare services but also morale support, social support, education, and opportunities to participate in everyday life, Bizim Lösemili Çocuklar Foundation will continue its work in these areas beyond Children with Leukemia Week.