What We Do
Cardiac Programme
One of the organs most vulnerable to the devastating effects of nuclear radiation is the heart. Surgeons working in the Chernobyl Zone have identified a previously unknown condition which they have termed Chernobyl Heart. Today in Belarus over 7000 children await treatment for this condition which with one operation, can be easily remedied. Each operation costs just €1,000! The country’s health services, already stretched to breaking point, are unable to respond to this growing problem. As a result the waiting list continues to grow. In addition, it is estimated that 800 to 1000 new-born infants are added to this list each year. Without intervention most of the children on the waiting list are looking at a very short lifespan. Many of them will die within 3 to 5 years.
Since its establishment the Chernobyl Children's Project International has made vigorous efforts to tackle this problem and has arranged for many children to receive the cardiac treatment they require. Many of these children have been brought to Ireland for medical treatment. In Ireland they have received expert medical treatment and care which has quite literally saved their lives.
The latest exciting development in this programme has been cardiac missions by top international specialists to Belarus to undertake surgery on the children on the cardiac waiting list in Belarus. This programme is being run in conjunction with our US office. Our organisation provides financial and logistical support to the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) cardiac surgeons, led by world renowned surgeon Dr William Novick, who will make several surgical trips per year to Belarus over the next five years. 
Thanks to our work with Dr. Novick and his team, we have gone from being able to treat only one Chernobyl Heart child a year to almost 100. Through the Cardiac Programme CCPI are able to save 25 - 30 children on each of the trips. Because the cardiac surgeons travel to the region to perform the surgeries, CCPI are able to reach and save many more lives and provide much needed training to local physicians.
Our Chernobyl Heart Programme, as well as the impact of saving so many precious lives, has the additional task of providing ‘side by side’ training of local specialists. Eventually the objective is that all children will be operated on in plenty of time by local surgeons.
