Mother reunited with her baby after two months following earthquakes in Turkey

picture of a moms hand a babies hand in hers. you can see baby sleeping in the background
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A baby girl who was miraculously recovered from the rubble in Southern Turkey after the devastating earthquakes in early February has been reunited with her Mother after nearly two months of separation. 

The miracle baby, Vetin, is three-and-a-half months old and was found underneath rubble in the province of Hatay 128 hours after the first earthquake crushed the region. Somehow, she hadn’t suffered any injuries and was still surviving despite going without food or water for more than five days. 

Upon being recovered, Vetin was placed under state care as it was believed that all her family had perished in the earthquakes. However, a DNA test has proven that her mother, Yaseming Besdag, is still alive and recovering from the earthquakes in the City of Adana. Sadly, Vetin’s father and two brothers passed away in the destruction. 

On Monday, Turkey’s Minister of Family and Social Services, Derya Yanik, shared a video on social media of Vetin being reunited with her mother. It was the first time that Yaseming had been able to hold her baby, who she presumed had died, for 54 days. In the video, Derya Yanik said:

“To witness their happiness is an emotional and beautiful moment for us, too. Uniting a mother with her child is one of the most precious deeds in the world.”

Back with family

When Vetin was first discovered by rescue workers she was only around six weeks old yet had somehow survived the ordeal and immediate aftermath. She was initially cared for at a hospital in Adana, close to where her Mother now is, before being flown by presidential plane to Ankara to be cared for by social workers. 

These social workers had adopted the nickname “Gizem” for the baby, which translates to ‘mystery’ in Turkish due to the incredible circumstances around her survival. While the plans for Vetin’s future were unclear, authorities believed that her family were all dead. 

However, when a member of the family approached officials, DNA tests were carried out on Vetin to see if they matched up with her Mother’s back in Adana. 

As soon as the tests came back showing that Vetin was indeed the daughter of Yaseming Besdag she was flown immediately back to Adana so that she could be back with her mom while she continues her own recovery.

Vetin, on the other hand, has seemingly suffered from no injuries from the earthquakes and should live a long and happy life. 

A victory after the devastation

The sight of a desperate mother who has lost her home, husband, and sons being reunited with her baby daughter will give hope to so many in Turkey as the country continues to rebuild after the earthquakes. 

In total, more than 56,000 were killed in the two earthquakes that took place on February 6th. 50,000 of these deaths occurred in Turkey, with the other 6,000 occurring in neighboring Syria. 

Despite the positivity surrounding this individual case, the Turkish Family and Social Services Ministry told CBS News yesterday that 135 children are still under state care after the quakes. So far, 1774 children have been reunited with their families in Turkey. 

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