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Watching four girls' smiling faces as they swing their legs over the countertop at First United Methodist Church in Columbus and sing, "Ice cream for breakfast, chocolate cake for lunch, jelly for dinner; I like it very much!" one could easily think they are sisters.

But looking closer, sandwiched in between three Mississippi girls, one of those smiling faces is paler than the rest, and she is also somewhat shorter and thinner, even though she is the second oldest in the group.

Ten-year-old Katyia Leonchyk is visiting Mississippi from Belarus for a month as a part of the Children of Chernobyl program.

Twenty years have passed since an explosion at Chernobyl's nuclear power plant killed 30 people and contaminated the surrounding lands, leaving toxins that are still causing health problems for generations of families living in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

More than 400,000 people were uprooted from their homes and 5 million are still living in contaminated and poverty-stricken areas.

For four weeks in July, 23 children from the Chernobyl region got to breathe clean air and drink uncontaminated water, living with host families throughout Mississippi and getting up-to-date medical care.

"Physicians and pediatricians have told us if they can get away from that environment for four to six weeks, it can improve their immune system, possibly adding years to their lives," said Sheila Jones, president of All God's Children, the organization that has sponsored the Children of Chernobyl in Mississippi since 1998.

"Those children are exposed to radiation every day, compromising their immune system," explained Jones.

"We are so blessed here and we're healthy. It's very easy for me to donate a little of my time and make sure they're healthy, too," said Dr. Pam Sykes, the pediatrician who saw the four children staying in Columbus free of charge.

Sykes says despite their pale complexion and easily-bruised skin, the children show no signs of serious health problems.

"They're healthy kids. It's the long-term exposure to the radiation that is the real concern. Most of the effects of the radiation will be further down the road," explained Sykes.

For those children with compromised immune systems who live in an iodine-deficient country, those long-term complications may include thyroid cancer, a condition that has already afflicted some 4,000 people living in the Chernobyl area.

UNICEF pushes for universal iodination in Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation, but has failed despite proof that iodine intake can significantly reduce chances of developing the cancer.

"They do have doctors in Belarus, but their system is so far behind our technology," said Jones. "And their dentists do not have access to anesthesia so most of the children are very afraid to go to the dentist."

Leonchyk, who had never been to the dentist before, shook her head violently and resounded a firm "No!" when asked by her host mother, Sydney McCrory, "Did you like the dentist?"

"Like" and "no" are two of the few English words Leonchyk knows.

But McCrory did not need the translator to ask Leonchyk if she felt a little better after her four-week visit.

For McCrory, who along with her husband Mike and four children — Caroline, 11, Mary Ashley, 9, Anna Clair, 7, and son, John Patrick, 2 — is hosting for the first time, the evidence was written all over Leonchyk's face before she boarded the plane to go back to Belarus in July.

"Even her color looks better than when she first got here," said McCrory, noting the summer sun has helped Leonchyk even though she has had to shield her eyes from it sometimes and seek shelter in the shade.

"She's just not used to all this Mississippi sun. They're not allowed outdoors at home. They have to stay inside as much as possible, out of the polluted air," said McCrory.

Leonchyk also gained about five pounds during the stay.

Laura Quinn, who has hosted Belarussian children for the past three years, agreed all the children looked much healthier when they left than when they arrived in mid-June.

"She was extremely pale when she first got here," Quinn said of 14-year-old Krystina Potapenko, who stayed with Quinn, her husband, Mike and their two sons, Thomas, 12, and Hunter, 9. "When she left, she had a real good healthy glow."

"We sent all the clothes she bought while she was here with her and we bought gifts for her family," Quinn added.

"The one thing she asked for was a blood pressure cuff for her mother. Krystina's mother has high blood pressure and she's pregnant with her fourth child. We also sent them with over-the-counter drugs: Tylenol, antibiotic ointment, cough drops, vitamins. And we sent clothes for the family and lots of things for the new baby."

It's always difficult to say goodbye, said Quinn.

"But the good thing is we know they're coming back next year," she said.

Jones explained: "They come for two years. We like to monitor how they're doing and if their health has actually improved."

Other cities in Mississippi that hosted Children of Chernobyl are Clinton, Madison, Jackson and Ridgeland.

ie.
October 2006

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