The Story of a Patient Waiting for a Heart Transplant Became a Film

Yusuf Eneç, 21 years old from Gaziantep, was diagnosed with heart failure in 2011. Yusuf was referred to Dokuz Eylül University (DEU) Faculty of Medicine Hospital and started his treatment in Izmir. At the end of a 7-month period, he underwent total artificial heart transplantation in 2012 with a successful operation performed by Prof. Dr. Öztekin Oto, a faculty member of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, and his team, and continued his life in this way for 3 years. Yusuf Eneç, who was the subject of lectures to many students at DEU Faculty of Medicine during the treatment period, met Metin Biçer, who was a 4th year student at the Faculty of Medicine at that time, after the artificial heart was implanted. Metin Biçer was impressed by his story and witnessed the experiences of Yusuf, whom he took care of closely for a year. Biçer, who is also interested in cinema, said that he wanted to script Yusuf Eneç's story and shoot a short film.

Accepted for Awareness

Yusuf accepted the film offer, thinking that it would help organ donation. In 2015, a suitable heart was found and transplanted to Yusuf. Metin Biçer turned the experiences of the young man, who was connected to life again with the team he established after the heart transplant, into an 18-minute short film with 2 years of shooting. Metin Biçer said, "Here we see the hopes, pain and fears of those waiting for a transplant" and added, "I wanted to tell these experiences through the art of cinema. Therefore, I always had the idea of making such a short film in my mind. When I met Yusuf and learnt his story, the idea in my mind was finalised." Yusuf Eneç, who is the subject of the short film, said, "It is necessary to increase sensitivity in organ donation. I already accepted the film offer to support the work for organ donation to some extent. The organ can give life to another person instead of being soil."