Chernobyl, Adi Roche

GOMEL, BELARUS - JANUARY 2006: Adi Roche holding 9 year old Sasha Prokopenko, who has hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and cerebal palsy, at the family home in Gomel, Belarus. On April 26th 1986, Reactor Number 4 at Chernobyl Nuclear power station in northern Ukraine exploded. 190 tons of radioactive materials were released into the atmosphere destroying the lives and lands of millions of people. The disaster has been described by the UN as the 'worst environmental catastrophe in the history of humanity'. 20 years after the disaster the human and environmental effects are still being felt.....99% of the land in Belarus is contaminated. 25% of Belarusan farmland has become a nuclear wasteland. 2000 towns and villages lie silent and deserted. There has been a 2,400% increase in thyroid cancer, 250% increase in congenital birth defects, 100% increase in leukeamia and a 1000% increase in suicides in the contaminated areas. Against the tragic backdrop one courageous Irish woman has sought to bring relief to the children of Chernobyl. 19 years ago Adi Roche left her job with Air Lingus and set up the Chernobyl Childrens Project International. Since then this attractive Irish fireball has raised over 40 million pounds to provide medical and humanitarian aid for the children from the heart of the 'Chernobyl zone'. Over 13,000 children have been brought to Ireland on recuperative holidays. Amongst other awards Roche has been honoured with the European Person of the Year award, European Woman Laureate Award, and Cork and Irish Person of the Year. She also collaborated on the Oscar winning documentary, Chernobyl Heart. (Photo by Tom Stoddart/Exclusive by Getty Images Exclusive)