BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

11/07/2006

Belarussian Kids Make Visit

BY M.J. MCKITTRICK: SPECIAL TO THE PILOT

The children who showed up at Dr. Tom Lineberger's office were tanned, healthy looking and smiling.

All four of them, ranging in age from 11 to 16, had come in for a checkup and routine blood work. But there is nothing "routine" about this visit.

And these aren't just any kids.

They come from Belarus -- located next to Russia -- where they have been exposed to high levels of radiation from the day they were born. It has been 20 years since the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power reactor.

Due to its close proximity to the plant, it's believed Belarus sustained 70 percent of the radiation damage. The explosion released 90 times as much radiation as the Hiroshima bomb.

The truth about the dimensions of that disaster, and specifically the health consequences it has been causing, is still not fully recognized.

"The air, the water, the soil, everything is still contaminated and it will be for thousands of years to come," said Dr. Lena Kotlerova, a dentist in Belarus and interpreter for the visiting children. "The children are selected by their social teachers who work in conjunction with a nonprofit humanitarian group called ABRO - American Bela-russian Relief Organization."

These children are usually healthy enough to travel but have difficult family or living situations.

"Sometimes they are orphans," Kotlerova said. "Maybe it's a parent who is alcoholic, or, maybe it's a family with 10 or 12 children. This program allows the children to live in a different environment, get medical care, and learn how families in another part of the world live."

The six-week visitation begins in early June and lasts until mid-July. It cost about $1,200 to $1,300 per child to bring them here.

The First Baptist Church of Southern Pines sponsors these children as part of its mission outreach program.

The children stay with host families. Those families can request the same child, or children, each year.

Bob and Kathy Farren have been hosting children for eight years.

"Lara and Roman became part of our family," Kathy Farren said. "Each summer we looked forward to seeing them and I would refer to them as my Belarussian son and daughter."

After eight years of making the trek to the states, Lara and Roman have now "aged out" of the program. Once a Belarussian child graduates from high school, he or she is no longer eligible.

Dr. Richard Kruse and his wife, Lisa, are hosting 11-year-old Alina Moshchanka. It is her first time in the United States.

"I like the beach and the swimming pool," Alina says. "I would have hot dogs anytime. Oh, and ice cream. And shopping. Everyone here goes shopping all the time."

For the most part, it's up to each host family to plan activities for the children. There are some mandatory stops -- like to Lineberger's office.

Lineberger is an internist working out of the Pinehurst Medical Clinic's (PMC) South Office in Southern Pines. He's not a pediatrician.

"We don't see kids as part of this practice as a rule," Lineberger said.

Lineberger and PMC, along with other health-care providers in the area, donate their time and services to provide the children with physical, dental and eye exams.

According to researchers attending a recent conference in Kiev, "Chernobyl Plus 20: Remembrance for the Future," tens of thousands of cancer deaths worldwide are attributed to ongoing radiation exposure from the accident.

Recent scientific studies are revealing increased incidences of solid cancers including breast cancer, as well as cardiovascular and ophthalmic effects. More than 6,000 thyroid cancer cases have been reported in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia so far, and more are expected.

Kotlerova, the group's interpreter, is being treated for damage to her thyroid.

"It is so hard to understand a threat to your health that you can't see or feel," she said. "You know it's all around you. People from our region who move from one area to another, move the problem with them. The radiation is even in furniture."

This unique summer exchange program has many dimensions. The six-week time frame is intentional.

Scientists believe the month and a half away from the radiation is enough time for the radiation levels in the small bodies of the children to drop. In addition to breathing radiation-free air, the children eat nutritious foods they can't get back home and are involved in activities that build strength.

During this visit, Lineberger is relieved to see some of the children he has treated for years still doing well.

For more information about ABRO, visit its Web site at www.ABRO.org.

M.J. McKittrick is a freelance writer.

Source:

http://www.thepilot.com/stories/20060711/news/local/071206belarus.html