Chernobyl Children's Project International

student campers take "chernobyl heart challenge," & save a life

Last year Delaware mom Julie Klabunde  and her daughter, Riley, saw Chernobyl Heart, the 2004 film that follows Chernobyl Children's Project International through Chernobyl affected regions of Belarus. (If you haven't seen Chernobyl Heart, you can watch it now on CCPI's Channel on YouTube.) 

Riley went online, found our website, and learned about our drive to raise funds for life saving children's heart surgeries in Ukraine.  Mother and daughter sprang into action.  Julie owns the Adventure Kids Summer Day Camp in Wilmington, and Riley is a junior counselor.  They organized a screening of Chernobyl Heart, and quickly convinced the camp staff to dedicate summer 2007 to one child's heart.

All summer long, the camp sold candy and lemonade to raise funds for one heart surgery, and made bracelets for all the young patients.  Pictured above, you can see a photo of a bulletin board the campers put together to rally everyone around the cause.

I hope the kids of Adventure Kids Summer Day Camp fully realize that, through their direct action, they will save the life another child -- one of the 6000 children born yearly in Ukraine with heart defects. More than 50% of the children in Ukraine who need life saving operations will not get them. Between now and the end of the year, the support of donors like the Adventure Kids will allow us to send volunteer surgical teams to 4 different regions of  Ukraine to perform operations and train their fellow professionals. The first team arrives at Kharkiv's Institute of General and Urgent Surgery this May 25th.

The Adventure Kids of Wilmington, Delaware join supporters like the students of Glenbard East High School, Cedar-N-Sage, Karakorum Racing, grandmother Judy Bevilacqua, PanRight Productions, and many more individuals who are finding creative ways to make sure these kids get the operations they need to live.  Thanks Adventure Kids, and all of our sponsors!

lombard illinois students on "chernobyl heart" mission

A few months ago, I received an email from Glenbard East High student Hannah Reneau.  Her teacher, Chris Vandenberg, had assigned his Lombard, IL students to research a social need then take an action to bring about positive change.

Hannah told me that she and her friends Jenna Kenny and Michele Graham went online to learned about the Chernobyl disaster and the work of Chernobyl Children's Project International.  They wanted to know what they could do to help kids their age affected by the disaster.

(The photos show, from left to right, Jenna, Hannah, and Michele. )

When I told them that CCPI is launching a children's cardiac surgery program in Ukraine this year, the students found their goal: To raise enough money to save one child's life.

I sent the girls a copy of the film Chernobyl Heart, and they arranged a screening for fellow students and the community.  Hannah said "It really opened their eyes to what is going on in Chernobyl regions.  Most were overwhelmed by what they saw."  They rallied around the girls in supporting their mission. 

Hannah, Jenna, and Michele:  Not only have you saved a young life, but judging from the photos, it looks like you had a great time doing it!  I promise to send you a picture of your "Chernobyl heart" child when we return from Kharkiv, Ukraine this May! 

chernobyl: the life saving gift at work

I can't look at this picture without imagining how I might feel to see my own child in an intensive care unit, hooked up to tubes and wires and hissing electronic equipment.  Only days ago, this child's parents were in the situation all parents dread:  Not knowing if their child would live or die.  Today she lives, thanks to a partnership between American and Belarusian surgeons and a life saving gift.

In October, I wrote about the Portland grandmother and the unusual way she raised funds to help kids needing heart surgery in Belarus. We combined her donation with one from a Rotary Club to purchase a Somanetics Cardiac Oximeter.  The oximeter just arrived in Belarus with a volunteer surgical team.  (The device allows surgeons to non invasively monitor oxygen levels in a young patient's brain and kidneys while they are on bypass during surgery. If the heart fails, the surgical team can intervene before irreparable damage is done.)

This equipment will save the lives of as many as 175 children a year.  We thought you might like to see this photo of the first one.  Pictured here,  Dmitry Leskovsky MD  (of the  National  Children's Cardiac Center in Minsk) and William Novick MD performed what is called a "Stage 1 Norwood" on the child.  The operation is one of the more complex performed in the USA or Europe.

As I reported last week, our cardiac surgery program has saved the lives of close to 300 children in Belarus, and has provided training and equipment that reduced the waiting list for children's heart surgeries from 7000 to 2400 under 5 years.  This spring, we will bring the program to Ukraine, where 50% of children who need complicated heart surgeries do not get it.

But today, we are celebrating the life of this one child.

chernobyl heart: i want to save a child's life for christmas

It's only December 1, but I already know  what I want for Christmas:  I want to save one child's life.  I'm hoping you will help me -- I've never asked you for anything before, have I?

This spring, Chernobyl Children's Project International will send an American medical team (led by Dr. William Novick, MD) to Ukraine.  They will operate on children who have very serious heart conditions -- genetic defects that have dramatically increased in incidence since 1986.  Without an operation, each of these children will die.

In 2008, we will sponsor 4 such trips to Ukraine, and save many young  lives.  But I would like to be personally responsible for just one life!  You can give me my wish by clicking on the DONATE button on this badge (either here or above) to make a secure online donation.  If I am able to raise $1,500, I will post a photo of "my" child this April.  If you prefer, you can donate by clicking on the green DONATE NOW button on the upper right hand of this blog -- here's how your donation helps.  Spread the word by clicking on "email this" or "share on Facebook" at the end of this post.  If you're a blogger, email me and I will send you code for my badge, or tell you how to create your own.

Our children's heart surgery program in Belarus has saved almost 300 lives.  Dr. Novick's surgical team focuses on both operations and training.  Since the start of the Belarus program, the children's waiting list for heart surgery has plunged from 7,000 to 2,400 patients.  The program has direct and measurable results.  I know we can bring this life giving success story to the children of Ukraine.

Click here to read the moving story of how supporter Judy Bevilacqua responded to young heart patients in Belarus.  The "cardiac kids" photo album on the left side of this blog shows some of the kids who have received life saving operations.

the grandmother, her dream, and her life saving gift

Sixty-two year old Portland resident Judy Bevilacqua spent most of her life dedicated to her husband, home and children -- she had no regrets and she did well. But two years ago -- while thumbing through a "ladies magazine" in her doctor's waiting room -- she came to the uncomfortable realization that she knew little about herself.  She didn't like this feeling.  But she turned her moment of discontent into a quest to fulfill her unlived dreams.  And she turned one of her dreams into a gift that will, over the coming year, save the lives of as many as 175 children touched by the Chernobyl accident.  This is her story:

When Judy started to feel her rumblings of dissatisfaction, her good friend Nikki suggested that she start to keep a journal of her dreams. (Nikki, along with Judy's daughter Rebekah, are pictured with Judy above.) Her husband, Jack, further encouraged her to turn to turn her dreams into action.  He told Margie Boule in last month's issue of  The Oregonian, "It was a wonderful thing to read her dream book and help remove the obstacles that might keep her heart from being alive." 

One of Judy's dreams was to swim Hood Canal.  Not a natural athlete, she trained hard and found it difficult and  monotonous.  To spark her motivation, she went back to her dream book, and saw that one of her dreams was to help children with birth defects.  She realized that she could accomplish two dreams with one swim. 

Judy's friend Steve Cagan, of Restoring Hope Foundation of Southern California, had raised $20,000 in a Chocolate Festival last year, and donated those funds to Chernobyl Children's Project International for a life saving children's cardiac surgery program in Belarus. Hearing about this program, Judy found  her inspiration. 

On September 1st, with her husband rowing beside her and holding up laminated photos of Belarusian children in need of heart surgery, and sponsors and supporters cheering her from the shore, Judy pushed her limits and swam two miles for the children of Belarus. "I don't have to be a Michael Jordan or a marathon runner. I can just be an elderly housewife who wanted to do this one little thing.  I have a mission."

Today, 2500 - 3000 children are on a waiting list to receive surgery to repair genetic defects of their hearts. These defects have increased in incidence since the disaster in 1986.  Chernobyl Children's Project International has funded Dr. William Novick and a team of volunteers to go to Belarus to perform these surgeries and train local physicians.  Hundreds of lives have been saved through this program. 

Judy's donation will be used to purchase a Somanetics Cerebral Oximeter -- a piece of equipment that will allow surgeons to non invasively monitor oxygen levels in a young patient's brain and kidneys while they are on bypass during surgery.  In doing so, surgical teams will be able to tell -- before the damage is done -- if the child is in danger of going into heart failure. We are purchasing this equipment right now, and Dr. Novick will take it to Belarus at the end of next month.  The equipment will save as many as 175 young lives a year. 

I think the best way to end this post is with a photo of one of the children who has benefited from cardiac surgery in Belarus.  More photos are in the gallery to the left of this page. We'll report back in December when the Cerebral Oximeter arrives and goes to work.