The astonishing life story of 'Patrona Halil': Thought to be dead twice, placed in the morgue

Born in 1929 in the Ortahisar district of Trabzon, Halil İbrahim Demirkanlı (98) faced difficult days in his childhood due to illnesses such as typhoid, malaria, and rickets.

While his peers were playing in the streets, Demirkanlı, who watched from the window, was twice presumed dead due to his illness and placed in the morgue. Returning to life, Demirkanlı was carried like a baby by his family because he could not walk. Because of his illness, he did not play with his peers, but after a while, he was examined by the only pediatrician working in Trabzon.

After receiving treatment, he regained his health and was introduced to sports. Demirkanlı began exercising after school and at every opportunity, eventually participating in running races. Coaches who noticed the ambition of Demirkanlı, who left his rivals behind, took action. Starting with 1,500-meter races, Demirkanlı advanced to 10,000-meter races in athletics and won dozens of medals.

Becoming, in effect, the unbeatable athlete of Trabzon, Demirkanlı also won titles in competitions held in various provinces. Demirkanlı, who was a licensed athlete for the İdmangücü team for a period, did not give up athletics until he was 30. Having gone down in history as Trabzon's most well-known athlete, Demirkanlı last participated in the 'Postman's Walking Championship' held after he became the Trabzon PTT Central Manager. Demirkanlı, who became the Turkish champion in his age group, gave up athletics after a while.

HE GAVE HIS MEDALS TO HIS NEIGHBORS TO PAY FOR DENTAL WORK

After retiring from public service, Demirkanlı, who served as a general coordinator in many companies, dedicated himself to swimming. Those who saw Demirkanlı, who gets up early every morning and swims in the sea summer and winter despite being 98 years old, could not believe their eyes.

Attributing his health to sports and a regular diet, Demirkanlı once gifted the medals he had won to his neighbors. Accepting his neighbors' offer, "Give us the bronze medals, let us melt them down and get fillings for our teeth," Demirkanlı recounted his life story as follows:

“I struggled with illnesses until I was eight. Rickets, malaria, typhoid. My mother would wait for me to die. I didn't have a father. My father died while I was in my mother's womb. A neighbor said, ‘This boy has blue eyes, he won't die.’ She said, ‘Take him to a doctor.’ My mother put me in a peştemal (traditional cloth), carried me on her back, and took me to the doctor. The doctor said, ‘Auntie, how are you treating him?’ My mother said, ‘I dilute yogurt and soak a dress in it. Then I dress him in it, and he wakes up after 2 hours.’ But she said he would faint again two days later. The doctor gave me something and saved me from malaria. My mother sent me to school, and I got better. I caught typhoid while going to school. There was only one hospital in Trabzon. We were treated there. They put you in the middle of a tub and wash you with cold water. When you die, they take you down to the morgue. You revive there in the cold, and they take you back up. I went down to the morgue and came back up twice. I died, I came back to life. I stayed in the hospital for 27 days. After that, I got better again. My mother sent me to school, but I was holding onto the walls while walking to school. I was in primary school. Everyone goes home after 3 o'clock, they disperse. But I don't go. The schoolyard was long. I would walk around it. Slowly. By the age of 11, it reached such a point that I built a magnificent body. A photographer even took my picture and hung it in his shop.”

“I HAD GONE TO THE COMPETITION IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK”

Stating that he became a licensed athlete for İdmangücü after winning a race where he competed against famous athletes, Demirkanlı said:

“One day I went to the field. There was a football match. I was about 11 years old. I was running on the field. I did 11 laps there. I became the champion in the three-kilometer inter-school race in middle school. I had to take make-up exams at the end of middle school. There was a championship race in Trabzon.

We went there by gathering from the neighborhood, but it wasn't for running. We entered, and my friends said, ‘Hey Patrona, you run too.’ I said I would go, but we were going to run five kilometers; it was open as the Trabzon Championship. The weather was hot.

There were famous athletes in the competition. While competing with those famous athletes, I finished first with 20-30 meters to go. After that race, I became an athlete for İdmangücü. After that, I was running every week. Trabzon was such a sports city that athletics was ahead of football.

There was a race every week. There were 3,000-meter races, the Atatürk run, cross-country, and spring runs, and I came in first in all of them. Once, I couldn't run well in the 7,500-meter Atatürk run. I had nausea, and I came in second in that one. As luck would have it, that race was held a second time, they called me again, and I came in first.

After that, I went to the Black Sea Championship. We went as a team for the 10,000 meters. We ran in Samsun. I came in first there. From there, we went to the Turkish championships. I had gone to the competition in the back of a truck. I finished that race in fourth place because I had cramps in my leg twice. In the competitions I entered, there were only sports clothes and a 5-lira daily allowance.

I had entered 50 races since I was 14-15 years old. There was no such thing as a national team back then. But athletics was ahead of football. I became the Trabzon Champion in the 10 kilometers. What I received was a football. I gave that to someone in the neighborhood. I ran in Samsun. They gave me a gold-plated medal there. I also ran a marathon in Trabzon. There was someone named Kemal. He used to say about me, ‘Trabzon's never-beaten athlete, the champion of hearts.’ My 10,000-meter record was 32 minutes,” he said.

“THE DOCTOR'S WORDS THAT I WOULD WALK AND RUN STAYED IN MY MIND”

Attributing his life story to sports, Demirkanlı said, “For example, I would train for 30 kilometers to run a 10,000-meter race. I attribute this story of mine to sports and walking. Also, the words of the doctor who treated me, ‘He will walk, he will run,’ stayed in my mind. Then, everything I eat and drink is natural. Churned buttermilk, butter, I eat things like that. My mother took good care of me. I never gave up swimming. Wherever I found an opportunity, I went into the sea. When I was the PTT manager in Yomra, I used to swim from the Yomra district to the Arsin district. That's 8 kilometers. I'm not afraid of the sea. I use the sea like land. I'm still in the sea,” he said.

HIS LIFE WAS ALWAYS SPENT WITH SPORTS

Noting that he worked as a general manager in many institutions after retiring as the PTT Trabzon Central Manager, Demirkanlı said, “I went to the PTT after middle school. I passed the PTT exams. I studied at the PTT. After that, I was appointed as a civil servant to Trabzon. I finished there. After being a civil servant, I did my reserve officer service. After my military service, I stayed in Erzurum for 20 months. I came to Trabzon. I worked as a civil servant for 2-3 years. Then I went to Yomra as a manager. There were no educated people at that time. Our situation was good. I stayed in Yomra for 3 years. I took courses. I became the Rize manager. While I was the Rize manager, I was continuing my higher education at the Faculty of Business Administration. After that, I worked as an inspector for 7-8 years. Then I became the central manager. I served for 20 years. After retiring, I worked as an expert witness in courts for 10 years. I also served as the general manager of Trabel for 5 years. After that, I worked as a general coordinator in companies. Meanwhile, I was constantly hunting. I was a hunter in the mountains until I was 75. I gave up everything at 80. My wife passed away 10 years ago. I have a son who is a coach. His wife takes good care of me. I am with my son, we are happy. I live with them. But I always swim and walk on my days off. I do all the weight training,” he stated.

“IF I HAD BEEN A FOOTBALLER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN CARRIED TO THE SKIES”

Stating that he gave the medals he won in competitions to his neighbors, Demirkanlı said, “There were old people in the neighborhood. I had gold and bronze medals. They would come to me and say, ‘Give me that medal, let me get some dental work done.’ I said take it. It wasn't doing any good anyway. İdmangücü and Trabzon merged. I had given away a lot of medals. Now when I go and look, I can't see any of them. They all disappeared. I only see my name in the history of Trabzon. I was Trabzon's unbeatable athlete, they didn't call me even once. But if I had been a footballer, I would have been carried to the skies,” he said.

“THEY ARE SURPRISED WHEN I SAY I AM 98 YEARS OLD”

Giving advice to young people, Demirkanlı said, “Those who see me are afraid. They are surprised when I say I am 98 years old. There is something God gave. God gave a brain. Can I live if I smoke or drink alcohol morning and night? If I do sports, if I eat properly, I will live. God also helps. I am thinking now that I will go on with this condition for another 20 years. But God knows that, it is God's will. When I get up in the mornings, I boil an egg and eat it. I don't spare my throat. I need extra energy. I don't like sweets and pastries. Even when I was 60, I was swimming in the sea in snow and storms. Young people should do sports. They should give up useless things. If they want to live healthily, they will do sports. They should pay attention to their food. They shouldn't smoke,” he said.

News Source: İHA