Oya Kayaik

Oya Kayacık was a Turkish nurse who spent more than 60 years working with children in an orphanage in Istanbul. She was dubbed Mother Oya by the orphans and the people living in Kasımpaşa, where the orphanage was located. She was born as the only child into a wealthy merchant family at Beyoğlu district of Istanbul in 1938. She was educated in Arnavutköy American High School for Girls in Istanbul. After graduation, Kayacık joined the "Kasımpaşa Çocuk Yuvası Koruma Derneği" ("Kasımpaşa Kindergarten Protection Association") at age 21 to take part in a social responsibility project. She started working as a volunteer, pushing away the opportunities offered by her family. She improved conditions in the institution by collecting stoves, bringing food, and moving into a small room in the orphanage in order not to leave the orphans alone. She thus became best described as a mother. Kayacık was legal guardian of two girls, Nursel Ergin and Göksenin. Nursel Ergin became known in the television game show 'Var mısın? Yok musun? (Turkish version of Deal or No Deal) and presents the television cookery show Nursel'in Mutfağı ("Nursel's Cuisine"). Göksenin was born with Down syndrome. In 2008, during her appearance on the game show, Ergin started a donation campaign totaling ₺ 2.5 million (approx. US$1.67 million in 2008) for the completion of the construction of a new orphanage building to replace the old one, which was damaged during the 1999 İzmit earthquake. In 2018, President Erdoğan, who was born and grew up in Kasımpaşa, honored Kayacık by paying a visit to the orphanage and meeting her personally. In November 2020, Kayacık was diagnosed with COVID-19, which she recovered from with the determination to live. After a short time, she was hospitalized due to low blood pressure. She died on December 2, 2020, at the age of 82. She was buried at the Feriköy Cemetery in Istanbul. She was mourned by thousands of people who considered her as their mother, as well as by many celebrities and politicians who praised her selfless service and kindness.