VOLUNTEERS’ HEALING MISSION IN BELARUS
Heartbreak at news that little orphan died
A GROUP of Kerry people devoted to helping the orphans of Belarus still living with the hideous effects of the Chernobyl disaster 30 years on were devastated to learn of the death of a little angel who’d stolen their hearts on their latest healing mission to the country.
It was a death that came like a thunderbolt for the Kerry stalwarts of Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children’s International (CCI) charity, the news coming through just days after they’d returned from Belarus.
George and Mary Sugrue (Tralee), Ivan Blennerhassett (Tralee) and Geraldine McCarthy (Castleisland) were among the Irish group that set off last month to bring aid to the most disadvantaged young in the former USSR state.
Since 2006 they’ve been providing vital dental treatment under a programme Mary and George established with West Kerry dentist Marcus MacDomhnaill. They have treated hundreds of every year since - at orphanages.
However, this year saw the group taking on an even more onerous task - moving into hospice care, much of which is being delivered inside homes by hard-pressed single mothers and grandparents.
But the CCI orphanage at Vesnova was, as ever, the main focus of the work this time round.
“We spent most of the trip providing dental care in Vesnova, as we always do, but this year we moved into hospices for the first time ever, in Minsk and Gomel,” Mary said.
It was as ever a rollercoaster of emotion hooking up with children they’ve come to care deeply for over the years.
“But we’re all heartbroken after learning of the death of little five-year-old Zhenia. She was such a little angel, always up in our arms with her big smile while we were at the orphanage. She was the life and soul of the place.
Zhenia, who had Down’s Syndrome, had had a pacemaker fitted to treat a congenital heart defect and died from complications after taking ill with a virus - in a shocking example of how fragile life is for the radiation-affected children.
“We’re all just heartbroken, it’s all everyone was talking about at a gathering we had in Kilkenny last week,” Mary said.
Another little girl is thriving, however - this time in an example of the impact a trip to Ireland can have. Little Angelina Harokhava (10) was delighted to reunite with Mary and George, having spent Christmas with George’s son Ian, his wife Susan and their daughters Ciara and Susan in Ballyseedy.
“She’s coming back at the end of the month and the girls can’t wait to meet her again,” Mary said.
The volunteers were also thrilled to have a Belarussian native on board as the dentist for the first time ever - Natasha Chernetskaya. Natasha was so inspired by their mission while working as an interpreter many moons ago that she decided to retrain as a dentist, now based in London - on hand this time as the primary medic.ic.