|
|
In fact, when asked what her favorite part about coming to America is, she replies, in her native language, "everything."
But while picnics, trips to Geneva-on-the-Lake, and a hamburger and french fries are great, it is the health care she is receiving during her summer stay abroad that ultimately may mean the most.
Olga is part of the Children of Chernobyl program, a charitable fund set up to help children who have been affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union.
Seventy percent of the radioactivity from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine fell on Belarus, according to news reports.
"Because of the unfortunate state of economy in Belarus, and the lack of support of their government, they have established organizations to host these children in more than 20 countries around the world and rely on them to raise funds to transport the children," the group's Web site says.
The fund helps bring healthy children between the ages of 8 and 12 to countries such as the United States for a six- to eight-week respite from the contaminated air of their homeland.
This helps their immune system to function normally again and fight off some of the harmful effects of radiation.
For the second summer in a row, Olga has been placed with the family of Jonathan and Theresa Bradford of Harpersfield Township in Ashtabula County.
"We really love her and have grown very close to her," Jonathan said. "We'd like to take care of her as long as she is permitted to come."
On Friday, Olga had her teeth cleaned by Dr. Margarita Shmerelzon Kutsikovich, a prosthodontist with American Dental Centers' Concord Township office.
"I feel privileged that I can contribute to this," said Kutsikovich, a native of Siberia who came to the United States when she was 16.
She is able to speak to Olga in Russian, which makes the experience a lot more comfortable.
Bradford said he has a translator program on his computer that enables the family to communicate with Olga, as well as her parents back in Minsk through e-mail.
"Her parents are very blessed to have a computer," Bradford said. "We've been trying to learn Russian so we can talk to her parents on the phone. It's easy to talk to her here, but on the phone, it's much harder to talk."
Kutsikovich said Olga is missing a lot of permanent teeth, which may be due to Chernobyl. But she said Olga cannot get dental implants until she is at least 18 or 19.
The dental work, as well as medical, vision and other health care, is provided free through Children of Chernobyl.
Children of Chernobyl, which is based in Youngstown, said it costs about $1,000 to bring a child from Belarus to the United States.
The nonprofit organization receives funds from community groups and organizations as well as private donations.
Over 2 million residents, including 600,000 young children, still live in the areas of Belarus contaminated by Chernobyl, according to the group.
Although a steady increase in disease rates, particularly in thyroid cancer, has been demonstrated, the cumulative impact of constant exposure to low-level radiation is officially ignored, the group reports.
Olga appears to have benefited from the family's move to Minsk, the capital city of Belarus and a community located outside the contamination zone.
"We're very thankful that she is very healthy," Bradford said.
This year, in addition to picnics and other fun summer activities, the Bradfords have found that Olga loves to play tennis.
"She can take me," Jonathan Bradford said with a smile. "I'm fairly athletic, but she just loves to play. I'm trying to find someone who can give her lessons that speaks Russian."
For the Bradfords' daughter, Rebekah, 10, Olga's visit means someone her own age to play with.
"We jump on the trampoline and swim a lot," said Rebekah, who is also trying to give Olga pointers on gymnastics.
Bradford said Olga's English has improved a great deal from last summer to this year.
"It's really fulfilling that we're doing what God wants us to do," he said.
Tax-deductible donations can be made to: The Offices of the Children of Chernobyl United States Charitable Fund, P.O. Box 6232, Youngstown, OH 44501. For more information, call (330) 965-0341.
