[...] 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. [...]
The initial reaction - "And here people are so different, lack altruism, etc., and that's why it sucks the way it does here" - gets interrupted with: "But this story is so much more about HERE than it is about OVER THERE!.." And then, somehow, it hurts even more...
(via MoldovAnn)
Chernobyl will not go away with a stroke of a political pen — be it the well-monied nuclear lobby or the budget-conscious international organizations.
ReplyDeleteThe physical and anthropological impact of Chernobyl must never be treated lightly. It should serve as a stark reminder of humankind’s failure to combine progress with safety.
People who help the rehabilitation effort deserve the highest praise.