M.D. Şirin Zeynep Haskalp Arıkan

My 92-year-old mother, who has dementia, developed a severe respiratory infection that her geriatrician couldn't manage. Dr. Şirin Zeynep Haskalp Arıkan was consulted due to her expertise in complex pediatric-to-adult transitional care. She spent 45 minutes reviewing decades of medical records, noticing patterns others missed. Her approach blended pediatric thoroughness with geriatric sensitivity—she prescribed a tailored antibiotic regimen that considered my mother's fragile renal function and dementia medications. What moved us most was how she spoke directly to my mother, not about her, using simple Turkish phrases my mother still remembered from childhood. The infection cleared in days without the expected hospital stay.

Our 8-year-old son Kaan, diagnosed with a rare vascular malformation wrapping around his trachea, needed surgery that three hospitals declined. Dr. Arıkan coordinated a multidisciplinary team at Acibadem Adana that included interventional radiology and pediatric surgery. During the 7-hour procedure, she gave us updates every 90 minutes in the waiting room—not just medical details, but observations like 'he's breathing well on his own now' that meant everything. Post-surgery, she created a custom follow-up plan using a colorful calendar with animal stickers that helped our son track his recovery milestones. Six months later, he's back playing football, and we still use her breathing exercise techniques.

At 2 AM, we rushed our 3-month-old daughter Elif to Acibadem Adana with projectile vomiting and lethargy. The ER pediatrician suspected pyloric stenosis but couldn't confirm. Dr. Arıkan arrived within 20 minutes, still in casual clothes, and performed an ultrasound herself. She discovered an unusual variant where the muscle thickening was asymmetrical—something she'd published research on. Instead of immediate surgery, she recommended a 12-hour observation with specific positioning and hydration, explaining that sometimes immature muscles resolve with conservative management. By morning, Elif was nursing normally. She saved our baby from unnecessary surgery with her niche expertise and remarkable patience during our panic.

As expatriates visiting family in Adana, our 5-year-old needed her routine vaccinations but had complex medical history from treatments in Germany. Most pediatricians wouldn't touch international records. Dr. Arıkan not only reviewed the German documents but called our Heidelberg specialist during our appointment to clarify timing nuances. She created a bilingual vaccination schedule that synchronized Turkish requirements with German recommendations, noting subtle differences in vaccine strains. Her office had a 'global health corner' with vaccination charts from 12 countries. She spent 90 minutes explaining everything in English when our Turkish failed, making what could have been bureaucratic nightmare into an educational experience we still reference years later.