Paylaş
Ayşenur’s journey to appear on a radio programme becomes an unforgettable experience despite the obstacles she encounters while living with brittle bone disease.
*Ayşenur’s name has been changed.
Ayşenur is a young woman living with brittle bone disease. Because her bones are extremely fragile, even the slightest impact carries a risk of fracture.
She uses a wheelchair in her daily life and leads a highly active and energetic life. After discovering music through guitar lessons, Ayşenur eventually began teaching at public education centres and performing live music in cafés.
She gives private lessons, and her social media posts about her life attract significant attention. One day, she receives an offer to take part in a special radio programme and sets off with a friend.
Ayşenur describes what happened: “We had a lot of difficulty parking the car. I needed to get out somewhere close to the radio station because the roads and pavements are not very suitable for a wheelchair. A restaurant allowed us to use its parking space. Up until that point, I thought that had been the most difficult part.” After parking the car, Ayşenur heads towards the building to meet the staff at the radio station. But a completely different obstacle awaits her.
“We arrived in front of the building where the radio station was located. When we went inside, I saw that there were eight steps leading up to the elevator. With the help of my friends at the radio station and the staff, we managed, with great difficulty, to get in front of the elevator. Just when we thought everything was over, we faced another problem. My wheelchair would not fit into an elevator in a building in the heart of the capital. I had actually arrived long before the broadcast, anticipating the parking problem. But the elevator had never crossed my mind.”
What Ayşenur experienced revealed a difficult process not only physically, but psychologically as well. However, the radio host was deeply saddened by the difficulties Ayşenur was facing. Ayşenur recalls that moment: “The presenter I was going to do the radio programme with had also come downstairs. I will never forget the look in their eyes; they were so sad and helpless, as if they had built the building themselves and had failed to think of these things.”
The armrests and footrests of Ayşenur’s wheelchair were removed, and she eventually managed to fit into the elevator. Her other friends ran up the stairs to the fourth floor to prepare to welcome her. Ayşenur says, “Just when we thought it was all over, the parts of my wheelchair were put back together in the corridor and we made it to the radio station. I was laughing and comforting them. I had learned not to be upset anymore.”
Finally, Ayşenur says: “It was a wonderful live broadcast. Then it was time to leave. The parts of my wheelchair were removed again, and I was barely placed into the elevator. We also made it down the eight steps without any problems. People hugged me with their eyes, and I left.”
This article was prepared in 2025 by journalist Alisa Çiçek Akyol as part of the Local Women Journalists Network Project.
