Chernobyl Children’s Project, InternationalAnswers the Call

Presentation and all photos by Anna Lawrence

On April 25, 1986, an experiment is begun to test a potential solution for providing energy to the water cooling pumps in the event of a power failure.

The emergency core cooling system is turned off as part of the experiment but even though there is a delay in the experiment, it is never turned back on.

At 11:10pm, the reactor begins to power down in preparation for the experiment.

Just after midnight, the automatic control rods switch off, and Reactor Control Engineer Leonid Toptunov cannot control them. If thermal energy dips too low, the core will be poisoned.

Toptunov removes 5 of the 7 reserve group rods. Thermal energy raises to 200 Megawatts – high enough to prevent poisoning but still too low. The experiment continues anyway.

Some of the cooling components begin to malfunction and despite warning signals and computer printouts that indicate the reactor needs to be shut down, the experiment continues.

On April 26, 1986, at 1:23:40am, the experiment begins with the generator and turbines being shut down.

The cooling system continues to malfunction, and the core temperature grows steeply, jumping from 200 to 530 Megawatts in just 3 seconds, and continues to increase.

An emergency shut down is ordered, but because of the way the control rods are reinserted into the core, there is actually a power spike, some fuel rods fracture and the control rods become stuck only about 1/3 of the way in.

At 1:24, there are two large explosions. Fires break out in 30 places, and the roof of the reactor is blown off, allowing tons of radioactive debris to be released into the atmosphere.

This explosion is considered to be the worst nuclear power plant accident of all time, and is the only Level 7 Event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

On April 28, higher levels of radiation were detected in Sweden, 1,100 km / 680 miles away. By May, elevated levels of radiation are measuredi n the US.

Over 300,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Almost all of the clean up crew workers died or severely ill

due to acute radiation poisoning. Children born after the accident have a higher chance of

being born with Down’s Syndrome, congenital heart defects, juvenile diabetes, physical abnormalities, or mental disabilities.

Exposure to radiation increases the chance of contracting thyroid cancer or other thyroid disorders. There may also be a link to increased occurrences of lung, heart and kidney problems.

The Ukrainian Health Minister claimed in 2006 that more than 2.4 million Ukrainians, including 428,000 children, suffer from health problems related to the accident.

Founded in 1991, in Ireland by Adi Roche Raises funds and awareness of the need for help in Belarus and

Ukraine. Sends Cardiac medical personnel to perform surgeries and educate

local doctors. Hosts recuperation camps and programs in Ireland and in Belarus. Volunteers train local nurses, dentists, surgeons, physical

/occupational /speech therapists. Builds community centers that will offer services for the community

and also provide jobs (day care, therapeutic services child care classes, vocational training and employment services, microcredit facilities, after school and homework help, computer centers).

“Homes of Hope” program – foster family program for children with severe illness whose own families cannot take care of them. Also, provides hospice care so that children with less severe symptoms can stay with their families.

Independent living program for mentally and physically disabled teens – providing housing for teens who would otherwise have to live in overcrowded adult mental institutions.

As part of CCPI’s Cardiac Program, Doctors are sent to hospitals in Belarus and Ukraine to perform surgeries on children with congenital heart defects, and to train the local doctors in these procedures.

My job was to document this trip. I

took pictures of the children before

surgery, and immediately after. I

also visited with children and their families after they

were sent to general recovery rooms.

All the children were wonderful little angels,

but the few you are about to meet I chose

to illustrate the variety of situations the

doctors need to deal with.

Taras Shevchenko monument, Kharkiv, UA

The team, from left to right: Antonio from Portugal, Hafsa from England, Ignacio from the Netherlands, Vika and Diana from Belarus, Frank from Britain, Chris from the USA, Ash from Australia and Neena from the USA.

The Operating Room

Scrub In

This ICU had only one room with about six beds in it. On average, children only stayed here overnight before being transferred to a general room.

Tatiana is a hospital administrator. To show her gratitude for the work the international team does, she makes lunch everyday. Truly, the best food to be had in all of Kharkiv.

The main hall through the ICU.On the right is the main room. On the left is an auxiliary room only used when the main room was full. At the end of the hall is a small lounge and kitchen.

7 years old weighs 18.5 kg / 40.77 lbs Ventricular Septal Defect means there is a hole between pumping chambers of the heart Oxygenated blood gets mixed with unoxygenated blood and is pumped back to the heart Operation to fix includes a patch over the hole while child is on bypass David’s surgery had started before our team arrived, thanks to the education given by our doctors on previous trips.

David and his mother.

1 year old weighs 10.5 kg / 23.14 lbsAtrial Septal Defect means there is a hole between the two receiving chambers in the heart Oxygenated blood gets mixed with unoxygenated blood and is pumped back to the heart Sometimes holes close as child grows, but because of Downs, surgery couldn’t wait Operation to fix includes a patch over the hole while child is on bypass

Ilya and his mother.

2 years old weighs 8 kg / 17.63 lbs AVC stands for Atrio-Ventricular Canal, and means that there is a single valve going into the heart, and so little muscle within the heart, it looks like there are only two chambers in the heart instead of four Surgery to correct this includes patches on the inner walls of the heart, and a banding of the lung artery. All this is done while the child is on bypass, and, depending on the particular case, more surgeries may be needed later in life. One of the most common congenital heart defects in children with Down’s Syndrome.

Bogdana and, from top right, her mother, Nurse Hafsa, her brother and grandmother. Not pictured are Bogdana’s older brother, who has to work to help support the family, and Bogdana’s father because he left the family when they found out she had Down’s and a heart defect.

4 months old weighs 7.4 kg / 16.3 lbs Tetralogy of Fallot means that there is a hole between two of the chambers of the heart, a large aorta and a narrow pulmonary valve The surgery to correct this involves a patch, a narrowing of the aorta, and monocusp implant, while the child is on bypass. Peter will need long-term follow up, as well as possible other corrective surgeries.

Peter and his mother. He is an only child and clearly the light of his mother’s life.

1 year old weighs 12 kg / 26 lbs Aortic Stenosis is a thickening of the aortic valve which then causes the left ventricle to work harder and become thicker. Sometimes there are no symptoms in a child with AS, and sometimes the child may have fainting spells. The surgery to correct includes thinning of the valve while the child is on bypass.

Alexi and his mother.

5 months old weighs 7.1 kg / 15.65 lbs In babies with Truncus, there is one common artery that comes up from the heart, which then splits to go to the lungs and the rest of the body, also, a large hole inside of the heart. PA Conduit Stenosis means there is a narrowing of the pulmonary artery Truncus will cause a child to gain weight poorly and get infections often. The surgery involves an implant which has to be replaced as the child grows.

Note how pink and healthy she looks compared to her pre-op picture on the previous slide. Pre-op she was pale and a little blue around the eyes and mouth.

4 days old at first surgery weighs 2.8 kg / 6.17 lbs Pulmonary atresia, common atrium Very little blood was actually able to get pumped from her lungs to get oxygenated.

Violetta received two surgeries to attempt to correct her condition.They were ultimately unsuccessful.

Here’s one of the only photos that proves I was actually there (And really, it only proves I was somewhere snowy).I want to take this time to thank you for viewing this presentation. I am a strong and passionate supporter of CCPI for all of the amazing work they do with children in Belarus and Ukraine. It is important for this work to continue because fallout from the accident in 1986 will long be affecting the lives of Belarussians and Ukrainians. Our grandchildren’s grandchildren’s grandchildren may still live in a world where Chernobyl is a very real threat to anyone born in the region.

For more information on what Chernobyl Children’s Project, International does and how you can help, please

visit http://chernobyl.typepad.com

In just 10 work days, ICHF doctors performed surgeries on 20 children. Except for Violetta, every surgery was successful. This life saving trip cost $50,000 USD.Without your donations and continued support, these surgeries won’t happen. CCPI welcomes corporate and individual sponsorships. Any donation, great or small, will help to ensure that all of CCPI’s programs continue to help children in Belarus and Ukraine.