NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Dr. Burak Ozgur deals with one of the most critical parts of the human body daily.
- Newport Beach neurosurgeon helps patients in Palestine
- Dr. Burak Ozgur works with nonprofit Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
- Ozgur helps Palestinian patients suffering from spine issues
“To be able to take somebody who is suffering and have their trust, it’s powerful,” he said.
Ozgur is a neurosurgeon and chief of service for the Neurosurgical Spine Program at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. But this doctor does more than clock hours to help local patients – he also travels to the other side of the world with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund nonprofit in his spare time to help more people.
“We had the opportunity to go to Palestine and an area where they would bring in patients that are suffering from spine problems that we could potentially help,” Ozgur said.
He's helped patients like Nahil Biniowtia. They first met in 2016 on the doctor’s first mission trip. She had a congenital disorder of her spine causing severe pain that became progressively worse with time.
“I couldn’t even stand in line at school, friends had to hold my backpack. I would cry from the pain,” Biniowtia said.
The doctor says in Palestine it would’ve been a big procedure, but it would be a fairly easy one at Hoag. So with help from Hoag and the nonprofit, Ozgur was able to bring her out to Newport Beach with her mother to treat her for free. Now, a few weeks after the surgery, he’s doing check-ups with her. She says her pain is now at a 0.
“I thank God first and Dr. Ozgur, and the Palestinian Children’s Relief fund for this opportunity,” Biniowtia said.
He continues his passion for helping people here in America, eager for his next trip to take that passion back to Palestine.