Antalya: The liver of a British tourist who died while vacationing in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was transported by military aircraft to southern Trkiye, where it was transplanted into a Turkish man who had been battling cirrhosis for a decade. Emma Jane Perry suffered brain death due to bleeding during her stay in Northern Cyprus. Her family chose to donate her organs, enabling a life-saving transplant for 47-year-old Ersin Simsek, a father of two from Trkiye's Antalya province.

According to Anadolu Agency, the liver was transported aboard a military cargo plane dispatched by the Turkish Air Force. The urgent operation was coordinated by the Health Ministry's National Coordination System and performed by the Organ Transplant Center in Antalya. Simsek had long battled hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. He first sought treatment after suffering severe abdominal pain and later faced worsening symptoms, including dramatic weight loss from 96 to 81 kilograms and excessive fluid buildup in his abdomen.

Doctors at the transplant center, who were attending a medical congress in Mugla province, returned immediately after learning of the available liver. The transplant was led by Dr. Bulent Aydinli, the center's director. Simsek expressed his gratitude, saying, 'After the transplant, I was reborn with the new liver.' He emphasized the importance of the donation, noting that his family, affected by widespread diabetes, could not offer a viable organ. 'An organ donation doesn't just save the patient; it saves the family too,' he added.

Dr. Aydinli commented on the operation: 'After a tiring and challenging operation, we performed the organ transplant. Our patient is doing very well right now. When the patient first came to us, they said, 'My children are young; I need to live for them.' The transplant saved his life.'