M.D. İkbale Yılmaz Can

Our 92-year-old grandmother, who has complex cardiac issues and dementia, developed a severe respiratory infection that her geriatrician couldn't manage. Dr. İkbale took over her pediatric-level care with astonishing gentleness, explaining that sometimes the oldest patients need the most childlike compassion. She spent 40 minutes just holding my grandmother's hand while listening to her lungs, speaking in soft Turkish lullabies that somehow calmed her agitation. She coordinated with four other specialists to create a treatment plan that accounted for grandmother's fragile state. What struck us was how she treated her not as a medical puzzle, but as a beloved elder deserving of dignity. The infection cleared in days, and grandmother now asks for 'the singing doctor' during every health scare.

When our 3-year-old son swallowed a rare earth magnet and a nickel coin in quick succession, the ER at Acıbadem Kadıköy was chaotic. Dr. İkbale arrived with this eerie calm, immediately ordering specific X-ray angles other doctors hadn't considered. She explained the differential attraction risks in terms even our panicked brains could grasp: 'The magnet wants the coin, and your son's intestines are in between.' What followed was 18 hours of non-surgical monitoring she personally supervised, using serial imaging she reviewed herself each time. She invented a game called 'Magnet Hunter' to keep our son still during scans. When both objects passed safely, she cried with us—not just as a doctor, but as a mother who understood our terror. Her emergency protocol is now being adopted by their pediatric wing.

Our daughter's routine 5-year checkup turned into a masterclass in preventive medicine. Dr. İkbale noticed subtle asymmetry in her shoulder blades during the 'butterfly wing' game she plays with kids. Instead of dismissing it, she spent 20 minutes having her crawl, jump, and reach in playful exercises. She detected early-stage scoliosis so mild it wasn't visible to us or previous doctors. Her approach was revolutionary: 'Let's not call it a problem; let's call it a twist in the adventure.' She prescribed specific swimming strokes instead of bracing, turning treatment into a fun activity. Six months later, the curvature has improved through what our daughter calls her 'mermaid exercises.' Dr. İkbale turned what could have been a traumatic diagnosis into a empowering journey.

Following our newborn's complex pyloric stenosis surgery, Dr. İkbale conducted follow-ups that redefined aftercare. She didn't just check the incision; she created a 'growth symphony' chart tracking weight, feeding rhythms, and even sleep patterns as interconnected movements. She visited daily at different hours to observe feeding struggles we hadn't articulated, identifying silent reflux others missed. Her innovation was a customized mobile app with gentle alarms for medication times that played Anatolian lullabies—her own recordings. When we expressed anxiety about scar tissue, she used a doll with identical stitching to demonstrate healing stages. Her follow-up wasn't medical supervision; it was a cocoon of holistic recovery where every whimper was heard and every worry answered before we could voice it.