The Child Amputees of Turkiye Earthquake

Three years after the earthquake in Türkiye, our donors continue to stand behind child amputees, and that steady support is changing lives. Thanks to your generosity, BTF has helped provide prostheses and orthosis care, scholarships, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support to children still healing and growing.

The need never really pauses. As children grow, their prosthetic limbs must grow with them. At our partner Child Wellness Center, 146 amputations across 125 patients have required 17 new prostheses and 251 prosthetic component replacements, primarily due to growth. It's a reminder that recovery for a child isn't a single moment of care but a years-long commitment, one your support helps sustain.

That commitment extends to education, too. This year, your contributions helped fund scholarships for 131 children, from kindergarten through university, easing the financial burden so they can stay focused on learning rather than hardship.

Beyond individual support, the Child Wellness Application and Research Center hosted three multi-day programs this year for children and their families, welcoming 83 people in total. During the midterm break (January 19 to 23, 2026), 25 people attended, including 12 children. Two summer sessions followed: July 20 to 31 with 26 participants, including 15 amputee children, and August 17 to 27 with 32 participants, including 17 children. Children took part in daily physical therapy, psychotherapy, health and dental screenings, and prosthetic revisions as needed. Creative workshops, pool activities, and physical exercise sessions rounded out their time together.

Three years on, the road to recovery continues, and so does your role in it. Every prosthesis fitted, every scholarship awarded, and every summer program held is only possible because of your continued belief in these children's futures.