Chernobyl Children International

🌟 Learning in Action! 🌟 Last week, residents from our Independent Living Facility at Chausey took an inspiring educational trip to the nearby city of Mogilev! With support from the Belarusian Society for Persons with Disabilities (BELOI), our group visited Tiflos, a manufacturing facility that employs over 150 talented people with with disabilities in its workforce. Our residents connected with Tiflos employees, learned about their work, and even got hands-on experience assembling mechanisms! This eye-opening trip showed our group what’s possible, highlighting their own potential and the world of opportunities outside traditional institutions. And of course, no trip is complete without a lunch break to share reflections and new insights. Every day offers a chance to learn and grow! Special thanks to BELOI, Tiflos, and our local team for making this incredible experience possible! 👏 https://lnkd.in/ecG8XqS #Chernobyl #InclusionMatter #deinstitutionalisation #humanrights

Meet gorgeous little Davyd who, at just 3 months old, underwent a life-saving heart surgery during our most recent Cardiac Mission in Ukraine. The heart is one is the organs most vulnerable to the effects of radiation, and every year, thousands of children in the Ukraine are born with genetic heart diseases and defects. One of these defects is the deadly condition known as “Chernobyl Heart”. CCI developed and delivers a world-recognised Cardiac Programme, in partnership with the American cardiac surgeon and US CCI Board Member Dr William Novick, that has saved the lives of thousands of children just like Davyd. Volunteer surgical teams travel Ukraine to perform surgeries that save lives, and CCI provides financial and logistical support to the cardiac surgeons in order for them to make the vital trips. We also provide state of the art medical technology and equipment needed to perform the operations, as well as training to local physicians. This training develops local capacity and skills, enabling local surgical teams to treat the children in their own area more effectively and with more success. None of this would be possible without the support of our generous donors and volunteers. Thank you! https://lnkd.in/ecG8XqS Global Cardiac Alliance

Today on World Food Day we are reminded that the contamination of the land remains the biggest health threat in the Chernobyl affected regions. 38 years on, Caesium-137 is the principal source of radiation in the zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant also known as ‘Death Valley’ or the ‘Exclusion Zone’. Caesium 137 is one of the radioactive isotopes that was distributed by the reactor explosion and it causes the greatest risk to the health of the people in the Chernobyl affected regions. It finds its way via the food chain into the human body. There is no safe dose of caesium 137 and according to Professor Yuri Bandashevsky “Any dose is an over dose of caesium 137- there should be no question about acceptable levels in the body.” But even now in 2024, levels in milk cattle meat and non-wood forest products such as mushrooms continue to exceed the permissible content of caesium-137. The Chernobyl disaster will leave measurable radioactive contamination in a 15,000 square mile area for 300 years. This graph illustrates the chain reaction of radioactive particles in the environment. It demonstrates how food and land contamination can have far reaching affects it can have on the human population of contaminated areas. #WorldFoodDay #Chernobyl

Today is World Mental Health Day as recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations. Mental health issues have become one of Chernobyl’s biggest legacies. Many of those who were relocated after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident now suffer from anxiety, depression and disrupted social networks - the traumas of displaced people everywhere. These conditions have health effects as real as those caused by radiation. The stress, depression and fear over the ongoing effects of the fallout have translated to negative conditions, especially for children’s health. This was further compounded by the re-traumatisation of people living in the region, following the invasion of Ukraine via the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in 2022. This day of observation, now more than ever, is crucial, as it encourages us to open up about mental health issues and tackle the stigma, isolation and discrimination that continues to plague people with mental health conditions and their families. #WorldMentalHealthDay #Chernobyl

CCI has dispatched a specialised cardiac surgical team to Lviv, Ukraine, just weeks after the city suffered a devastating attack in which 7 people were killed. The goal for this specialised CCI-funded Cardiac Mission is to save the lives of as many children and babies with radiation related heart-defects as possible. Since the onset of the conflict, the healthcare system in Ukraine has faced immense challenges, with hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of wounded, the mass exodus of qualified medical personnel and the deliberate targeting of medical facilities. Many children born with congenital heart defects, such as the fatal Chernobyl Heart, have been unable to receive necessary surgical interventions, leading to a rising number of preventable deaths. Speaking about the decision to send the brave, international team to Ukraine, CCI’s Voluntary CEO Adi Roche said; “We are acutely aware of the challenges and dangers of operating in an active conflict zone, especially so soon after Lviv has become the new front line after recent bombings. However, the urgency of the children’s failing hearts demands immediate action. These children cannot wait, and we are committed to providing them with the life-saving care they need, whilst also keeping our team as safe as possible.” Global Cardiac Alliance https://lnkd.in/e4qbvTKQ

Now that Summer has truly come to an end, we are dedicating this #ThrowbackThursday to the fun-times that were had at the in-country Summer Camps that took place this year. Some of the children and young adults of Vesnova and Chausey were very lucky to spend time in health-boosting Summer Camps, thanks to sponsorship from the people of Ireland and fundraising by some of our brilliant Outreach Groups. These camps offer a wide variety of therapies and treatments, as well as fun activities. For some of the participants, it was their very first time spending time away from the institutions that they call home. Thank you to each and every person and volunteer who supported these wonderful camps this year.

On International Day of Interventional Cardiology, we remember all the little lives who have been saved by CCI's Cardiac Surgery Programme. What we have learned since Chernobyl is that the heart is one is the organs most vulnerable to the effects of radiation. Every year, thousands of children in the Chernobyl affected regions are born with genetic heart diseases and defects. One of these defects is the deadly condition surgeons call “Chernobyl Heart”. CCI funds a world-recognised Cardiac Programme that has saved the lives of thousands of children across Ukraine and Belarus since 1986, in collaboration with Global Cardiac Alliance. Multiple times a year, volunteer surgical teams travel to Ukraine to perform surgeries that save lives, and CCI provides financial and logistical support to the cardiac surgeons in order for them to make the vital trips. We also provide state of the art medical technology and equipment needed to perform the operations, as well as specialty training for local physicians. This training develops local capacity and skills, enabling local surgical teams to treat the children in their own area more effectively and with more success. On this day, we also pay thanks to the brave surgical teams who have bravely continued their work in Ukraine despite the ongoing war, and the generous donors who enable this powerful work to continue. https://lnkd.in/ecG8XqS

Our in-country nurses and carers are dedicated to giving each of the children on our Medical Care Programme the best possible support and attention. The local team provides medical support, sensory development and therapeutic massage for the children who need it, and many also have a specialty in hospice and palliative care. None of this would be possible without the kind support of our volunteers and donors. This is needed now more than ever, as our Irish multi-disciplinary teams have been unable to travel to support the children since 2020. For more details and to help support the children, please visit https://lnkd.in/ecG8XqS

Meet Vlad...one of over 4,000 children in the Chernobyl affected regions whose life has been saved by CCI's Cardiac Programme. Vlad was born with 4 heart defects that together are named “Tetralogy of Fallot”. Due to the lack of sufficient medical services in Ukraine, he was not initially diagnosed with this heart defect. When Vlad was finally diagnosed, his oxygen saturations were very low and his heart was beginning to fail. Over the course of a year, Vlad's parents noticed he is not able to run around and play with his three brothers. He would become very tired, unable to breathe, and have to squat to catch his breath. His father also recognized that Vlad’s fingers would turn very blue. It was discovered that due to his heart defects, he was not getting enough blood to his lungs and over time, his body compensated by developing new vessels that moved blood from his heart to his lungs. Imagine a river being blocked by rocks, and developing new pathways to flow down a mountain. Since Vlad had been living with his complex heart defect without repair for over five years, the blood developed numerous extra path-ways. Luckily our team, in collaboration with Global Cardiac Alliance arrived at the right time to assist the local surgical team in performing his complex surgical repair and manage his post-operative course in the ICU. Vlad spent 4 days in the ICU following his surgery, and was able to recover well at home...and was able to play with his 3 brothers. Without this complex surgery, Vlad would most certainly have died within a number of months. It is thanks to your support that we were able to provide this life-saving intervention and gift Vlad a future full of hope. https://lnkd.in/ecG8XqS