Turkish MP overcomes tragedy

Tulay Cetingulec

Mar 12, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: Safak Pavey (2nd L), a parliament member of Turkey, is introduced by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd R) during a presentation ceremony of the International Women of Courage Awards as first lady Michelle Obama (L) looks on at the State Department March 8, 2012 in Washington, DC. Ten women from around the world were presented with the awards during the sixth annual ceremony to recognize their courage and leadership. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — Safak Pavey (2nd L), a member of Turkey's parliament, is introduced by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd R) during a presentation ceremony of the International Women of Courage Awards as first lady Michelle Obama (L) looks on at the State Department in Washington, March 8, 2012. — Getty Images/Alex Wong

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How does one turn pain and injustice into hope while facing all the beauty and ugliness of the world? How does a beautiful woman emerge as an active world citizen and teach lessons of humanity after losing a third of her body? It takes inherent humane tenderness, benevolence, willpower, courage and, most of all, zest for life.

Turkish parliament member Safak Pavey was a 19-year-old student of arts and cinema in Switzerland when she lost a leg and an arm in a train accident while seeing off a friend diagnosed with a brain tumor.