Support Ese's Recovery from Severe Injuries

What was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime has turned into a heartbreaking nightmare. After a month of exploring Turkey, Ese and I were hiking the Love Canyon in Turkey's magical Cappadocia province, when a giant rock broke loose and came down right on top of her first breaking her shoulder bone and finally landing right in her lap. Unable to move, screaming in pain, I was able to stabilize her broken body from causing more internal injuries. It took about an hour for rescuers to find us. We feared for her life as we waited for help, completely isolated in a remote canyon. Every minute felt like an eternity, and every movement risked making her injuries worse. Through her screaming, we shifted her to the stretcher for the hour-long hike over challenging terrain to the ambulance and the regional hospital.

The extent of her injuries is severe—multiple fractures to her pelvis, sacrum, and clavicle. While we are thankful that surgery isn’t required at this moment, the road to recovery will be long and painful. For the first two days, doctors were unsure if the bleeding would stop on its own or they would have to operate. It’s a relief to say that, as of now, the internal bleeding has stopped, but it was an incredibly scary time.

She’s been told to remain flat for at least 30 days to ensure her bones heal properly. But the pain management has been shockingly inadequate. After the first day, she’s been given only ibuprofen for pain, and every time she shifts or moves, it’s excruciating. I can see the tears in her eyes, and I feel helpless.

To make everything worse, we’ve already been hit with an overwhelming hospital bill of over $24,000—just for the first few days of care. She is going to need to stay in the hospital for at least another week, after which we will need to rent an Airbnb for about a month, as she will not be allowed to even sit for six weeks. The international airport is an 11-hour car ride away, after which is a 12-hour flight, followed by months of physical therapy and a chance of a corrective surgery.

We are running out of options, and the financial burden is suffocating. It is yet unclear what, if anything, insurance will cover, but consider direct out-of-pocket expenses and the fact that she will not be able to work for 4-6 months, the financial implications of this are huge. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a life-changing difference.