My
name is Carmel Mulchrone. I am a psychiatric nurse. I started
volunteering for the Chernobyl Children International medical team in
2005, and I have been making visits to the Vesnova children’s
institution since then. On
my most recent visit this past month, I noticed a new child lying in
her bed, staring into space. I tried to interact with her, but got no
response. She was such a beautiful girl. I wondered how she came to live
here. I asked our translator to ask about her personal history. To my
horror, I learned that Uliana was born “normal.” When she was 8 months
old her mother, in an alcoholic rage, threw her against a wall. Her
brain was damaged, and now she will spend the rest of her childhood in
this bed at Vesnova. I
was filled with anger and sadness when I heard her story. Who knows
what she could have become if not for this tragedy. The remainder of my
time at Vesnova, I spent a lot of time with Uliana, holding her and
cuddling her. By the end of my visit I think she was starting to enjoy
it. But I don’t know what was going through her head. People always tell
me I am “so great” for coming here . . . but I don’t think so. I enjoy
it, and I enjoy my bond with the children. 
Here
is a picture of me with a young woman who grew up at the Vesnova
institution. Her name is Sveta, and I am very fond of her. She has
always been so kind and caring to the younger children there. This
month, she will move into a home of her own -- the independent living
terrace of apartments built by Chernobyl Children International.