UK Holiday Helps Boost Immune Systems of Chernobyl Children

Children that were victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident took a field trip to a farm maze in Cornwall this week. The trip is part of a larger holiday to the UK designed to help strengthen the children’s immune systems.

The non-profit Chernobyl Children Lifeline has sponsored the 10 children’s one month visit to the UK in an attempt to improve their health, and help give them a holiday from their homes, which are near the affected areas.

The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl was the worst nuclear accident the world has yet to see. The nuclear power plant and several areas surrounding the plant fell victim to the nuclear explosion in 1986 after a reactor onsite exploded. The contamination was widespread affecting Chernobyl, Belarus, and into some parts of Europe. Children are still affected by the blast, especially the ones living closest to the accident. Some of the sick children were not even born at the time of the explosion. 

Chernobyl Children Lifeline says that short breaks, like the one month trip to England, can help the children to boost their immune systems by spending time outside of the affected nuclear area. The charity has been sponsoring trips similar to this one, to allow the children to get away from the radiation for a short time.

The charity has said that for every two weeks that a child spends away, can help that child gain an additional year to their life.

During their visit to the UK, the children visited the Maize Maze in Cornwall at the Smeaton Farm. The maze has been cut into the shape of a wind turbine and is scheduled to be cut down at the end of this month to be used for cattle feed.