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Dilara Arslan – A Scientist from Istanbul, Turkey

Dilara Arslan – A Scientist from Istanbul, Turkey

By Dilara Arslan

Hi Everybody, I am Dilara from Turkey. I was born as likes some of you with a bladder exstrophy in 1991, İstanbul, Turkey. To treatment of my bladder exstrophy was needed a series of operation since my born. I don’t remember my early ages. However as much as I remembered, I found myself in the hospitals instead of streets. I’m not saying that to push you and your children into pessimism. I said that because, all the troubles I experienced in this early period of my life shaped my life today and gives my life slogan “NEVER GIVE UP”.

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DAMON LITTLE is a National Touring Gospel and Grammy Winner Artist,

Thomas Exler ran into his at the United Ostomy Associations Conference. During his childhood he has many surgeries and live with a colostomy for years

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Awards:

BRITEN DOUGLAS – 2019 COURAGE TO SHINE™ Lisha Martinez & Adam Young Award Recipient

My name is Briten Douglas and I was born on October 27^th in 1986 with bladder exstrophy. That makes me 32 years old!

I say that very proudly because that also makes me a survivor for 32 years of a birth defect that has made me face death more than a handful of times, as well as presented me with challenges that most people could never imagine. However, in the same breath, I wouldn’t trade this body for any other because it has faced so many odds and fought so many wars … and came out on the other side and won! When I came into this world, I had no bladder and my pelvis was not fully formed. My legs dangled on either side and at first the doctors didn’t know the extent of the severity of my birth defect. I was rushed immediately into surgery and my parents were given the unimaginable news that I may not survive due to the birth defect. They were told that even if I did survive the surgery that I would never be able to walk and that I would live a compromised life.

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