nuclear-news

12 year old children from irradiated areas in Ukraine helped by a Scottish charity

Chernobyl’s TV success will help with fallout from nuclear horror that never ends

A Scots charity supporting children from communities affected by radiation hopes the hit show will encourage more people to lend their support. Daily Record , Emylie Howie, 9 JUN 2019

t’s the television series that has reignited interest in the nuclear disaster that shocked the world 33 years ago.

Now a charity is hoping the ­success of the hit show Chernobyl will result in an increase of support for victims of the power station ­catastrophe.

Co-ordinator Michael Lafferty, of Saltcoats , Ayrshire, said he hopes Sky’s HBO show will ­encourage more people to volunteer to look after the children.   He said: “I’m hoping this ­programme leads to a bit more ­interest in families who’d like to host children and give them time away from radiation.

“We’re now dealing with children of the people who were alive at that time and when these kids grow up and have kids of their own we may see more genetic malformations.

“The radiation is going to be there for hundreds of years.”

The series dramatises the ­Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in Soviet Union-ruled Ukraine.

During a test on April 26, 1986, reactor four exploded, releasing huge amounts of radiation into the atmosphere until the resulting fire was put out nine days later.

The official death toll was 31 but the figure is thought to be in the millions as a result of radioactive poisoning. Belarus and Ukraine received more than 70 per cent of the fallout and many children were born with severe ­disabilities or illnesses, ­including thyroid cancer, bone ­cancer, leukaemia and facial defects…….. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/chernobyls-tv-success-help-fallout-16487018

June 10, 2019 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, Ukraine