Dr. Evrim Başak Tanır

Our 92-year-old grandmother, who has been raising my 8-year-old son since his parents passed away, developed a severe respiratory infection. We were terrified given her age and his dependence on her. Dr. Tanır didn't just treat a patient; she treated a family unit. She arranged for my son to stay in the room during examinations (explaining everything in child-friendly terms about 'helping grandma's engine run better'), coordinated with geriatric specialists while managing my son's anxiety, and even called us on two evenings to check on them both. Her approach considered the pediatric patient's emotional world and the elderly caregiver's physical needs as one interconnected case. We've never experienced medicine practiced with such holistic compassion.

My 6-year-old daughter, Zeynep, has a rare chromosomal mosaicisim that causes complex multi-system issues. During what was supposed to be a routine follow-up for a mild ear infection, Dr. Tanır noticed a subtle change in her corneal reflexes that everyone else had missed over months. She immediately ordered specific neuro-ophthalmology tests, which revealed early-stage intracranial pressure building—a silent emergency. Her surgical planning for the necessary shunt procedure involved creating a custom picture book for Zeynep about 'Maya the Mouse's Adventure in the Hospital,' complete with drawings of the MRI machine as a 'space rocket' and the anesthesia as 'fairy dust.' The surgery was a success, but it was Dr. Tanır's preemptive detection and her method of preparing a neurologically complex child for major surgery that truly saved us from a catastrophic outcome.

We brought our 15-month-old in for what we thought was a standard well-baby visit. Dr. Tanır was playing a clapping game with him when she suddenly went very still. She noted an almost imperceptible asymmetry in his smile when he laughed—something we, his parents, had never seen. She gently asked about my pregnancy, which had been complicated by a mild, resolved virus. With immense tact, she explained her concern about possible subtle cranial nerve involvement and ordered a specific viral antibody panel. It confirmed a congenital infection we didn't know he had, allowing for immediate early intervention therapy. This wasn't a checkup; it was a detective story where Dr. Tanır solved a mystery we didn't know existed by observing a child at play. Her ability to see the extraordinary in an ordinary moment changed the entire trajectory of our son's development.

My teenage son, a nationally ranked junior swimmer, developed sudden, debilitating fatigue and joint pain. Multiple doctors dismissed it as 'overtraining' or 'growing pains.' Dr. Tanır, during our first visit, spent an hour asking him not just about symptoms, but about his stroke count per lap, his recovery times, and the specific moments the pain emerged. She correlated his medical history with a forgotten bout of food poisoning months prior. Suspecting a post-infectious autoimmune response, she ordered a highly specific panel that confirmed reactive arthritis. Her treatment plan was a collaboration: she worked with his coach to design a modified training regimen while on medication, treating him as an athlete-patient. She didn't just restore his health; she preserved his identity. He's back in the pool, and we credit Dr. Tanır for listening to the story his body was telling when everyone else just heard noise.