ECPC's member of the month March 2010 is:

SALIH YÜCE - YOUTH ACCUMULATION ASSOCIATION (GENC BIRIKIM DERNEGI)

My Organisation

The main aim of the association is to create cooperation between the members. At the same time to create the communication between the patients who have been treated in radiotherapy and chemotherapy centers and inform the society about the oncological diagnosis and treatments. We have made many projects to enhance the communication between the patients by founding children and youth clubs, and supporting the young people at joining and
adapting to both working areas and social life succesfully. The rate of patients who had a cancer diagnosis has been increasing day by day in our region. So we try to get involved in some communication networks and start activities in order to save the young people from cancer. We have encouraged the young people to do sports in order to have healthy youngs, healthy people. Sports support important changes in the life of young people and and personal improvings.

We have organised international oncology days for the last three years with a different title and focus every year and we are currently preapiring the 4th International Oncology Day in 2010. Our other important project is health development with the Novartis Oncology, Japanesse Embassy and Mus Govenorship, in which we are doing research about breast cancer.

Starting in June 2010 we are going to visit the rural areas and try to create awareness about breast cancer among the 18/49-aged women. We would like to train them, at the same time we are going to make research about the women over the 49. This project is planned to continue for the next 5 years.

The Main Office of our Young Accumulation Association which was founded in Mus in September in 2006,
has 118 formal and 286 volunteer members.

My story

Without having awareness  I had a new identity by facing cancer in my young age. I had a mass in my right arm in 1999 and went to the doctor; then my fight against cancer started by being diagnosed as a rabdomyosarkom. Even if my first year passed with struggle against the disease and treatment, then the last years both the difficulties while being treatened and going for the treatment pushed us to "get organized". Going from rural areas to big cities damaged us both financially and morally and when we met with patients around hospital and the problems of their relatives, we could feel how virtuous it is to be organized. We, as patients, had not so much stages to come together and share our experiences without having problems scientifically in our country. One of the the biggest advantage of being organized is while someone is in the beginning, the others are on their half way already and while I am the beginner in this way, I faced with this disease which nobody even wants to hear in my body. You know first you can't accept this situation but then you get used to it and your struggle starts with the question: 'Why me? This question was turning around in my head several times in the first years of my disease with the thought that '' I am young and have so many long years'' and you have working life, special life in these long years, but one of the days you have a mass in your arm and the doctor says you have ''CANCER ''. What would you do, if you were me?

I did the same thing you thought, I started to fight with my disease first by asking "why me"? I searched for information about my disease in the pital library when the internet wasn't still so widespread like today. I found so manyinformation about it and understood that I can fight against this disease. I had met so succesful struggles and suddenly saw myself in the group of people who have won against this disease. Aproximately 3 years  after  chemotherapy and radiotherapy  treatments, I had a situation among the administrators of  ''Working together with oncology patients and Love Association" in Mus and I am still the chairman of the Administrative Commitee of Young Accumulation Association which we founded in 2006. Today we have followed and shared the latest improvements in the oncology field with our team friends in founded organisations. The patients come together and find solutions to their problems under the roof of  our organisation and they come together with the oncology community both in our coutry and abroad. Today we know that cancer is not a killer but a treatable disease. Also in our country we are fighting against cancer with the latest technology scientifically, and we have workings as social and non-govermantal organisations.

When a person comes within an inch of  the life in the hardest time, support comes from unexpected time and unexpected place. We are the cancer patients, treatable but requiring stronger standing up. While thinking that everything finished in first year, now it is my new identity and I am happy with this.

How to contact me

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

website: http://www.gencbirikim.org

See also our previous ECPC Members of the Month.