M.D. Gülhan İpek Deniz

My 82-year-old mother was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer after a fall at home. Dr. Deniz didn't just see a chart; she saw a person who loves tending her rose garden in Antalya. She created a gentle treatment plan that prioritized quality of life, explaining every step in Turkish with such patience. When my mother developed unexpected side effects, Dr. Deniz personally called us at 8 PM to adjust medications. At Acibadem Fulya, she coordinated with palliative care to manage pain without sedation. My mother has now celebrated two more birthdays with her roses, thanks to Dr. Deniz's compassionate precision.

Our 7-year-old daughter's 'stomach aches' turned out to be a rare abdominal desmoid tumor. Dr. Gülhan İpek Deniz met us in the pediatric oncology wing with a calm that immediately settled our panic. She knelt to our daughter's eye level, showing colorful diagrams of 'the sleepy cells' we needed to help. Her approach blended cutting-edge targeted therapy with play therapy sessions. She remembered our daughter's love for sea turtles and brought small turtle figurines to explain each treatment phase. After 18 months, we're in remission with minimal scarring. Dr. Deniz fought for our child's future while protecting her childhood.

I arrived at Acibadem Fulya as an emergency transfer with acute myeloid leukemia complications—fever of 40°C and plummeting counts. Dr. Deniz was on vacation but returned to the hospital within two hours of being notified. She directed a complex balancing act: aggressive antibiotics for sepsis while preserving my fragile bone marrow. What stunned me was her method—she used a whiteboard in my isolation room to map out immune cell interactions, making me an active participant in my crisis care. Her team worked round-the-clock for five days. She saved my life not just with medical knowledge, but by making me believe we were partners in the fight.

As a 45-year-old with BRCA2 and a family history draped in loss, my preventative journey with Dr. Deniz has been extraordinary. During routine surveillance, she noticed a microscopic change others missed. Instead of immediate alarm, she designed a 'molecular watch' protocol using liquid biopsies every three months. When a mutation finally appeared, she performed risk-reducing surgery with oncoplastic techniques that preserved both health and form. Her follow-up isn't just scans; it includes genetic counseling for my siblings and nutritional plans to modulate risk. She transformed my fear into empowered vigilance, treating potential as seriously as pathology.