Kilkenny families to welcome guests from Chernobyl for Christmas

Frank Morrissey and Eileen Morrissey with Vasilli Ayskavets as children from the Chernobyl affected region of Belarus arrived at Dublin Airport for a 2 week long Christmas Rest and Recuperation stay organised by the Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International (CCI) charity with families across Ireland. Host families from 9 counties welcomed the children for the start of their life-prolonging respite holiday, during which time radiation levels in the children drop by nearly 50 per cent and up to two years is added to their life expectancy. The trip code named “Operation Sleigh Ride” has been organised by the Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International (CCI) charity which has brought more than 25,500 children to Ireland to stay with host families since 1991. Pictures Brian McEvoy No Repro fee Double celebrations this Christmas as Maryna flies ‘home’ to celebrate marriage of Irish ‘mama and papa’ Today Tuesday, 19 December Santa Claus provided a special through the night sleigh-ride escort to Dublin Airport from the Chernobyl affected regions of Belarus for a group of children with special needs who began a 2-week long Christmas Rest and Recuperation stay in counties across Ireland. Host families from 9 counties welcomed the children for the start of their life-prolonging respite holiday, during which time radiation levels in the children drop by nearly 50 per cent and up to two years is added to their life expectancy. The trip code named “Operation Sleigh Ride” has been organised by the Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International (CCI) charity which has brought more than 25,500 children to Ireland to stay with host families since 1991. Within this group of remarkable young people was 14-year-old Maryna Malinovskaya. Maryna lives in the CCI supported Vesnova Children's Mental Asylum in Belarus. Maryna has been part of CCI’s Rest and Recuperation programme for 5 years and stays every year with her loving Fingal based hosts Trina Gilchriest a