Yunus Emre Karadal, the youngest of the three children of housewife Sebahat and mechanic Saim Karadal, living in Kemalpaşa district, was diagnosed with down syndrome after his birth. Sebahat Karadal, who embraced Yunus Emre at the age of 40 after raising his two healthy sons, made great efforts to raise his son. Yunus Emre, whose mother brought him to school for years to receive a good education, played basketball and achieved great success in matches both in Turkey and Europe. Yunus Emre Karadal, the player of the Down Syndrome Basketball National Team, who came second in the 2021 European Games for People with Down Syndrome, held between 04-11 October, went to the physical education teacher Özlem Baştürk Aliş at the special education center in the district of Bornova as soon as he returned to Turkey.
‘I SIT IN CLASS WITH YUNUS EMRE FOR 6 YEARS’
Watching her son, who continues to train with his teacher, in the garden of the school, mother Karadal said, “I got pregnant with Yunus Emre when I was 40. I had no information about Down syndrome. When I took him to the doctor because he did not breastfeed as soon as he was born, some tests were done and we learned that he had Down syndrome. We were very surprised and what a problem. “We didn’t know what to do. I put a lot of effort into it. I sat with Yunus Emre in the classroom for 6 years. He learned to read and write in the 1st grade together with normal children. It was as if I had been given an assignment. I devoted myself to him with great determination and enthusiasm. Because there were no other children in my house. His brothers were married.” .
‘I’M WITH YOU WITH EVERYTHING’
Explaining that her first goal for Yunus Emre was to give him a proper education, mother Karadal stated that Yunus Emre, who is enthusiastic about folk songs and sports, started basketball after the recommendation of his teacher in secondary school.
Saying that his son Yunus Emre spends most of his time on basketball training, Karadal continued:
“We were a couple that could not break away from each other. Now I feel great pride. We cried tears of joy while watching him at the match in Italy. May God grant it to everyone. It cannot be explained in words. Wherever he goes from now on, I am with him with everything. Let Europe go to Europe. Istanbul” “Is he going to move to Ankara? I will move for him. Everything is for his life, future and success. It is very valuable to me. I did not say that I should shut him up at home, give him his bread and sit on the sidelines. Thank God, we have seen these days. His success makes me happy.” spoke.
Yunus Emre Karadal, who loves basketball, said, “I was very happy in Italy. I want to be a basketball player from now on. I got on a plane. I wore the national jersey. I played for the national team and Turkey, I am proud. I am very happy. We came in second. We got a medal.”
‘OUR PRIDE FOR US’
Özlem Baştürk Aliş, the physical education teacher at Yunus Emre’s school, also stated that she is proud of her student’s success and said, “He achieved a good success in Europe this year. He came in second in Europe as a team. It is a source of pride for us that he went to the national team and was successful in this way. He graduated last year, and this year they participated in competitions together with those with down syndrome. Our school’s club, in which Yunus Emre played, became the 3rd in Turkey. This is how Yunus Emre was promoted to the national team. All of our special students should be directed to sports. Sports are for them both for their socialization and It is a very important factor for their health.”
