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I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba
A photo essay about young victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident who are receiving medical treatment in Cuba
- GenresHealth
48 pages, Library Binding
First published September 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 3, 2025
I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba (an interesting and enlightening 1996 photo essay for young readers from about the age of eight or nine onwards) has co-authors Trish Marx and Dorita Beh-Eger writing in the (nicely age appropriate and very much approachable as well as sweetly endearing) first person voice of Elena Balushko, a twelve year old Ukrainian girl who is hugely grateful for and massively appreciative of her totally FREE treatment (of and for a large facial tumour) at Tarara, at a Cuban medical camp for Ukrainian children whose illnesses have been caused by the radiation released during and after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion ten years ago (and thus in April 1986, when Elena was two years old). And yes, and sadly, in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba many of the Ukrainian children getting their medical treatments in Cuba either have various types of both cancerous and sometimes non-cancerous but still debilitating tumours or are suffering from leukaemia, while others are in Cuba to build up their compromised immune systems with sunshine, healthy (in other words non irradiated) food etc. (all due to the massive levels of radiation poisoning that many children in the Ukraine experienced and have had to endure during and also after the Chernobyl disaster).
Now while Elena Balushko as a person could perhaps seem a bit idealised for overly critical or for cynical adult readers (but you know, this is totally on them, ha, ha, ha), well, and in my humble opinion, her story and the stories of all of the Ukrainian children receiving medical help and treatment in Cuba and as this is textually being shown by Marx and Beh-Eger in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba are true, heartwarming and at times also quite poignant, and yes, the same can equally be said regarding Cindy Karp's accompanying photographs of both Elena and indeed many of the other Ukrainian children receiving medical help in Cuba (ranging from very sick youngsters undergoing various types medical procedures to those well on in the healing process who are able to bicycle and to romp around in the ocean, in the Caribbean). However, although multiple references are made in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba to long hospital stays, surgery, chemotherapy (and even to one death), I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba actually gives only minimally specific details of medical care for cancer patients, so that chemotherapy, for example, is simply described as taking very strong medicine (which though is totally and utterly fine for and by me, since Trish Marx and Dorita Beh-Eger's text for I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba does even with its verbal simplicity totally and massively convey the sad and painful truth of the matter that the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion absolutely and terribly ruined the health of many many Ukrainians, including children and that quite a substantial number of these children were helped by and have received needed and necessary medical treatments for free in Cuba).
Finally, I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba very nicely and also with a bit of personally appreciated criticism and condemnation of the USA for their (in my not so humble opinion) ridiculously all-encompassing anti-Cuban bias delightfully demonstrates the to be celebrated, to be feted and honoured generosity of Cuba towards the innocent child victims of Chernobyl (since hosting and providing free and also excellent medical care and comfort for more than thirteen-thousand Ukrainian children from 1990 to 1996 is impressive and especially with the American trade embargoes and such). But (and this is indeed the main if not the only reason why my rating for I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba is not five but four stars), the implication by Trish Marx and Dorita Beh-Eger in the preface and in the afterword of I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba that only two countries (that only Cuba and Israel) responded when the (then) Soviet Union asked for help regarding Chernobyl and providing help for and to Ukrainian children affected by and suffering from radiation poisoning due to the disaster is simply not correct, as in fact many countries have treated Chernobyl's victims and sent assistance to the Ukraine, such as for example Italy, Germany and Ireland (and this is something that at the very least should be mentioned and pointed out in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba).
Now while Elena Balushko as a person could perhaps seem a bit idealised for overly critical or for cynical adult readers (but you know, this is totally on them, ha, ha, ha), well, and in my humble opinion, her story and the stories of all of the Ukrainian children receiving medical help and treatment in Cuba and as this is textually being shown by Marx and Beh-Eger in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba are true, heartwarming and at times also quite poignant, and yes, the same can equally be said regarding Cindy Karp's accompanying photographs of both Elena and indeed many of the other Ukrainian children receiving medical help in Cuba (ranging from very sick youngsters undergoing various types medical procedures to those well on in the healing process who are able to bicycle and to romp around in the ocean, in the Caribbean). However, although multiple references are made in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba to long hospital stays, surgery, chemotherapy (and even to one death), I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba actually gives only minimally specific details of medical care for cancer patients, so that chemotherapy, for example, is simply described as taking very strong medicine (which though is totally and utterly fine for and by me, since Trish Marx and Dorita Beh-Eger's text for I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba does even with its verbal simplicity totally and massively convey the sad and painful truth of the matter that the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion absolutely and terribly ruined the health of many many Ukrainians, including children and that quite a substantial number of these children were helped by and have received needed and necessary medical treatments for free in Cuba).
Finally, I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba very nicely and also with a bit of personally appreciated criticism and condemnation of the USA for their (in my not so humble opinion) ridiculously all-encompassing anti-Cuban bias delightfully demonstrates the to be celebrated, to be feted and honoured generosity of Cuba towards the innocent child victims of Chernobyl (since hosting and providing free and also excellent medical care and comfort for more than thirteen-thousand Ukrainian children from 1990 to 1996 is impressive and especially with the American trade embargoes and such). But (and this is indeed the main if not the only reason why my rating for I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba is not five but four stars), the implication by Trish Marx and Dorita Beh-Eger in the preface and in the afterword of I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba that only two countries (that only Cuba and Israel) responded when the (then) Soviet Union asked for help regarding Chernobyl and providing help for and to Ukrainian children affected by and suffering from radiation poisoning due to the disaster is simply not correct, as in fact many countries have treated Chernobyl's victims and sent assistance to the Ukraine, such as for example Italy, Germany and Ireland (and this is something that at the very least should be mentioned and pointed out in I Heal: The Children of Chernobyl in Cuba).
May 9, 2017
A really lovely kids non-fiction book about a group of children from Ukraine being treated/recuperating at a clinic in Cuba. The text is provided by Elena, a 12 year old from Kiev who was 2 when the Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened. She started to get sick when she was nine, and developed a tumor behind her eye. There weren't any beds available in any of the hospitals, so they went to Cuba so she could get treated. Elena guides the reader through her treatment as well as through the ins and outs of hospital kid life. These kids really got a chance to heal in a totally different environment; and despite the hardships of Cuban life (like food & medicine shortages), their doctors really gave them everything they had to help them recover.
Despite being on a 4 year no circ list, this book is a keeper for sure.
Despite being on a 4 year no circ list, this book is a keeper for sure.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews