On the Anniversary of Chernobyl

I first read Svetlana Alexievich's Voices from Chernobyl in fifth grade. After that, Chernobyl and the people it affected became a focus for me. Learning about the disaster and its aftermath, I found Chernobyl Children International, and the stories shared by that organization are part of what inspired me not only to write about Chernobyl but also to pursue a career in speech or occupational therapy so that I can be "a helper."  Today, on the 32nd anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, I invite you to reflect on both what you are grateful for and what you can do to make the world a better, safer place for others.

We humans tend to like novelty and excitement, and we can be forgetful, assuming that, just because something happened a long time ago, it must be "over." But Chernobyl still impacts people to this day. Large parts of Belarus and Ukraine are still contaminated by radioactive matter, and the rates of thyroid disease and birth defects have skyrocketed since the disaster. If you have the time, please visit Chernobyl Children International's website here to learn more about Chernobyl and the ways that you can help those affected by it. For me, that means donating to CCI via Amazon Smile, working on becoming an OT or SLP, raising awareness, and praying.  For others, help may look different, and we all have a variety of causes that we care about and are working on.  So visit CCI's site, and if you are supporting other causes, too--from animal rights to LGBTQ rights--thank you for being a part of the love and light!

<3 Frances