Chernobyl Children's Project International

watch: the door -- a short filmed in chernobyl

The Door -- an emotional and beautifully told short film made in Chernobyl contaminated lands  -- is in the running for an Oscar tonight.

The film is 17 minutes long.  You can watch it here. (Double click to expand it full screen mode). The story is inspired by the book Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of the Nuclear Disaster.   The filmmakers explain that the film, "starts with an absurd act:  stealing a door. This raises a question in the viewers mind, a question that is not answered until the final shot." 

In 2004, Chernobyl Heart, featuring Chernobyl Children's Project International, won the Academy Award for best documentary short.  The story of Chernobyl is really more about people than it is about the mechanics of the disaster; it continues to register emotionally with all who hear it, yet much of the story remains untold.

"big man, big scar" -- another "chernobyl heart" story from kharkiv, ukraine

Ilya is a 1 year old with Down's Syndrome and a penchant for chocolate.  His mother quit her job a a sociologist to stay home with Ilya and his two older brothers.  His father, a software specialist, looks at this three sons and says the only difference between them, as far as he is concerned, is that Ilya is the calm one.

But Ilya had one more difference --  a hole between the two receiving chambers of his heart. His only hope was open heart surgery. Thanks to your support, he received a second chance at life on February 16, when a volunteer heart surgery team visited Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The day after Ilya's surgery he was relaxing with his parents nearby.   Mom and dad smiled from ear to ear, and couldn't thank us enough.  "Thank you that you exist, thank you that you saved his life.  If it weren't for your program, Ilya probably would not have had surgery because of the lack of experience of the local doctors."

Ilya's parents were surprised after surgery  -- not just at his dramatically improved physical appearance, but at how quickly he recovered.

Mom said,  "I was hoping for a smaller scar."  Proud dad said, "Big man, big scar." 

"After the surgery they told us that we may need to teach him again how to hold his head, sit up, and so on, and I was worried because we already worked so hard to teach him all that because of his Down's Syndrome.  But he sat up right after the surgery."

This summer, the family hopes to vacation at the beach.  Ilya especially loves the water and the sun and being with his family.  Mom asked if it would be safe to take him to the beach so soon after surgery. Our nurse told her, "As long as you put sunscreen on him."

big "chernobyl heart" thanks from kharkiv, ukraine

On behalf of the children who received life saving heart operations in Kharkiv, Ukraine this past month, Dima says "thanks!"

Every year, 6000 children are born in Ukraine with genetic heart diseases. Only will half will receive the surgeries that they need to survive, and will die.  Your donations allow Chernobyl Children's Project International to send volunteer surgery team to Belarus and Ukraine.  They operate on children for free and train local physicians. 

Donate now to join sponsors like Oksana Grigorieva, Vodafone, Ali Hewson, & Helena Christensen in this life saving initiative.