2001 – A Journey of Hope, Compassion and Gratitude
It was 2001.
One evening, in Lelystad-Haven, Harun Bulut knocked on our door. Under his arm, he carried a copy of the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
Once inside, over a cup of coffee, he explained why he had come.
The story he shared touched us deeply.
Hakan and Hanife were young Turkish parents. It was only after seven months that they discovered Hanife was pregnant. And not with one baby…
They were expecting twins.
At the time, they were on holiday in Turkey. They immediately booked a flight back to the Netherlands, and not long afterwards, their two boys were born.
But the joy of their birth was overshadowed by a terrible uncertainty.
The boys had been born with underdeveloped retinas. A complex and costly operation was needed, and time was running out. The procedure had to take place within three months to give the boys a chance of seeing.
Then came the news no parent wants to hear.
The insurers refused to cover the expensive treatment.
What do you do when your children need help, time is running out, and the financial means are simply not there?
We decided not to wait.
A fundraising campaign was launched.
We visited mosques throughout the Netherlands. In total, we visited 160 mosques. Everywhere, we shared the story of Hakan, Hanife and their two little boys.
And once again, something remarkable happened.
People opened not only their wallets, but their hearts.
They gave generously.
Within just five weeks, we had raised more than €250,000.
That amount was impressive in itself, but for us it meant something much more important: a chance. A chance for two young children to receive the help they desperately needed.
By then, contact had also been established with Dr Michael Treesh at Beaumont Hospital in America. Preparations for the treatment began.
We travelled to America.
For six weeks, we stayed there. To keep costs as low as possible, we lived in a motel. It was not luxurious, and at times it was difficult, but that did not matter.
Everything revolved around those two little boys.
Both underwent surgery.
For one of the boys, the operation was successful.
Sadly, for the other, it was not.
That was an incredibly emotional moment. We had hoped for a miracle for both of them. Yet when we look back, what remains above all is a feeling of gratitude.
Gratitude for everyone who had given.
Gratitude for the 160 mosques that opened their doors.
Gratitude for every person who cared about this family.
And gratitude that, together, we were able to make a difference.
This period touched us deeply and taught us something important:
When people join forces, extraordinary things can be achieved in a remarkably short time.
What began with a knock on the door in Lelystad-Haven, a newspaper under an arm, and a moving story over a cup of coffee, grew into an international relief effort involving hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people.
To this day, we look back on that experience with deep, immense gratitude.
Not because everything ultimately turned out as we had hoped.
But because we came together and tried to make a difference.
**Because sometimes, a great act of compassion begins with something very small: someone knocking on a door, sharing a story, and asking for help.**
And sometimes, that is the very moment when people come together and show what caring for one another truly means.