Turkish Minister Derya Yanik said, "Reuniting a mother and her child is one of the most precious tasks in the world."
After 54 days of being separated due to the chaos caused by a devastating earthquake in Turkey, a mother, and her newborn baby daughter have been reunited. According to Reuters, government representatives delivered the little girl called Vetin to her mother, Yasemin Begdas, at a hospital in Adana. In an exclusive word with Reuters, Minister of Family and Social Services, Derya Yanik, said, "Reuniting a mother and her child is one of the most precious tasks in the world." The kid was found unharmed in the wreckage of a collapsed building in Hatay province 128 hours after the earthquake on February 6.
Apparently, the kid was given the name Gizem by the medical professionals who looked after her when she was separated from her mother. Gizem is Turkish for "Mystery." Begdas was the girl's mother, according to a DNA test, even though it had previously been assumed that she was one of the tens of thousands of people who perished in the earthquake and its aftereffects, according to Al Jazeera. "The baby is truly a miracle. The fact that she survived and had no health problems pulled at our heartstrings," Yanik said.
According to Reuters, the ministry also said in a statement that Vetin's father and two siblings perished in the earthquake. The youngster was sent to Ankara, the nation's capital, for medical attention after the earthquake. She traveled back to Adana this week to see her mum again. Yanik published a video of her latest travels on Twitter on April 3.
"Fifty-four days of longing are over. Vetin is now our baby too. As the Ministry, our support will always be with you," Yanik wrote in a tweet. The minister shared a video of the reunion, in which they can be seen kissing in Yasemin Begdas' hospital bed in Adana. From Ankara, where she was also receiving medical care, her baby was airlifted out.
According to Reuters, the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria claimed the lives of around 56,000 people. Turkey was home to almost 50,000 of the fatalities. In the days following the accident, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared during a news conference, "We might call it the disaster of the century."
According to data released by Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in late February, more than 44,000 people died there alone. Moreover, the tragedy continues to have an impact on almost 20 million people.
54 günlük hasret sona erdi.😊
— Derya Yanık (@deryayanikashb) April 3, 2023
Enkaz altından 128 saat sonra kurtulan, hemşirelerimizin Gizem Bebek ismini koyduğu Vetin Begdaş 54 gün sonra annesine kavuştu.
Vetin artık bizim de bebeğimiz.
Bakanlık olarak desteğimiz her zaman yanında olacak. pic.twitter.com/66sWKR53z3
The miraculous incident of this reunion invigored a great sense of hope and faith in humanity post a natural disaster. People were amazed and happy as they prayed for a beautiful life ahead for the mother and the child. Ever since the deadly earthquake struck Turkey, the nation has left no stone unturned to rebuild it from scratch.
Reference:
https://people.com/human-interest/baby-reunited-mother-months-after-separated-turkey-earthquake/
https://twitter.com/deryayanikashb/status/1642799069360791554
Cover Image Source: Twitter | @deryayanikashb
