HOST families are needed in Thornton to take a Chernobyl child for a month this autumn.

The appeal is going out from the Friends of Chernobyl's Children, whose Thornton branch has brought groups of disadvantaged youngsters from Belarus to the Fylde for the past two years.

Aged seven to 12, the children's health is still impaired by fall-out from the disastrous accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant 13 years ago, which irradiated a vast area of the Ukraine and neighbouring Belarus.

Thornton co-ordinator Anita Patrick paid a week-long visit to the area last month, taking medical supplies, toiletries and food.

"The conditions are worse than I thought," she said. "It's a heavy industrial area, so as well as trying to cope with the effects of radiation they have pollution from an enormous chemical plant which belches out toxic waste."

Anita's 16-strong party of volunteers from all over Britain suffered sore throats and headaches all week and wondered how the children survived such conditions all the time.

"All the food that's grown there is polluted and even their mothers' breast-milk is contaminated with radio-nuclides, mercury and arsenic, so the children's immune systems are impaired, they suffer not only cancer but brain and bone disease," said Anita.

"The doctors say the only thing that can help is to get the children away from the area for a while, to eat uncontaminated food and breathe clean air. We try to do that for the most needy children."

This year 16 children will be coming on August 27 with two interpreters, spending the mornings in school sessions at Sacred Heart Church Hall, visiting other schools and going on field-trips in the fresh air.

While here the children are also given medical and dental treatment at the charity's expense and given a year's supply of vitamins to take home.

"The children are very affectionate, very generous," said Anita. "They have nothing at home but they will share anything with you."

Each host family gets a small food allowance and lots of advice, plus a 24-hour phone-number for help. The whole operation costs £250 per child and the charity is entirely self-supporting.

The branch is holding a fundraising summer fair this Saturday (May 22) at Fleetwood Road Methodist Church Hall, Thornton, from 10am to 3.30pm.

Anyone wanting to help should contact Anita Patrick on (01253) 868783.

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