Lothian trips add years to the lives of Chernobyl's children

Published on Wednesday 17 June 2009 10:13

IT HAS been described as having all the fun and excitement of a trip to Disneyland.

But visiting the Lothians is not only giving children who have grown up in the Chernobyl disaster zone the chance to take part in activities they could only ever have dreamed of, it is also – quite literally – giving them a whole new lease of life.

Research by the World Health Organisation has shown that every month the youngsters spend away from the irradiated zone should increase the chances of prolonging their lives, with some research claiming it lengthens life spans by up to two years.

The break gives their immune system a rest and the chance to recover and children return home in better health and far more able to fight against viruses and bugs.

The group of 25 children, aged between seven and 11, who are currently visiting the Lothians are on a five-year programme to improve their health and inject a bit of fun into their lives.

Each year they come over for a four-week trip in the hope the break from their Belarussian town of Mogilev will improve their health, diet and ultimately prolong their lives. The children have also been receiving dental treatment and eye care during their stay, which many can't afford at home.

The Friends of Chernobyl's Children (Edinburgh West) has been bringing youngsters over since 2006.

Local organiser Heidi Grant, from Bathgate, said you could see a noticeable difference in the children after spending just a few weeks in the Lothians.

She said: "When they first arrived they were skinny, pale and had big shadows under their eyes, but after three weeks here the children are looking great.

"You can see the difference between the children who have been out here three or four times and those who have been out once. Influenza is huge in Belarus and it kills, but the children who have been abroad tend not to get it."

Dentist Biju Krishnan, who co-founded Lubiju in Leith and who treated the Chernobyl children for free, said: "The children can have terrible teeth because of the conditions back home – their poor diets, the poor agriculture thanks to the radiation – and we have to try and counter that here."

The children have been on a variety of trips since they arrived, including going to Edinburgh Zoo, taking part in the Edinburgh Taxi Trade Children's Outing and visiting Louden Castle theme park.

Mrs Grant added: "For them, it's a bit like taking our children to Disneyland. "They have to have some of the routine things while they are here and the essential healthcare but we also try to give them lots of fun."

The charity visits Mogilev twice a year to meet with the children and their families and give them supplies of vitamins and food.

Each family which hosts a child from Belarus is asked to raise around 800 in order to fund their trip over here and pay for the year's supply of vitamins for them and their siblings.

The charity is currently looking for more people to host children.

Mogilev was one of the towns worst hit by the nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986, when 190 tons of highly radioactive waste material was thrown into the atmosphere.