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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2001-07-18, Page 6e—THE HURON E.XPOpITOR, July 10. 2001 Here • New!, today. B elarus s ianchildren return Call 527-0240 to place your ad in the classifieds. Deadline for all classified ads is Monday at 12 noon* *excluding Holidays Ex iositor I3E �Ihki\( Ilii CRI \IIk'F\IIRIII \FI CLASSIFIEDS L� Last year's experience helped boy get through first winter without becoming ill as his sister comes with him this year By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Staff Because 10 -year-old Sasha Tsibouk, of Gomel, Belarus lived through last winter without getting sick for the first time in his life, Lynn Dawe counts his six- week visit last summer to her Seaforth home a success. This summer, he's back for another six weeks with his eight-year-old sister Lena. "Eight is pretty young to be away from your family for six weeks but we wanted to give his sister the opportunity too," says Lynn. Video Camera Inspection & location Let us help you with: • sewer and drain lines • septic tanks •heating and cooling ducts •crawl spaces •chimneys, attics •wells For more information call: (519) 236-7390 ®PARKER L 1 M 1 T E tI R.R. 2 Zurich, Ont. NOM 2T0 www.hay.net/..drainage Don't wait `til the cows come home... ...to subscribe to Huron' Exor SAVE OVER 33% OFF THE NEWSSTAND PRICE WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE FOR 1 YEAR! Call Dianne or Bernie at 527-0240 • From left, Sasha Tsibouk, 10, Corey Dawe, 11 and Sasha's sister Lena, 8, pose together at the Dawe's kitchen table in Seaforth. The Haney family, including from left, David,11, Brian, 9, Glen and Deb sit with theirBelarussian visitor Anastasia Kuzemchanka, 7 and some of the gifts she brought. As participants in Huron County's chayter of the Canadian Relief Fund for Chernobyl Victims in Belarus, the Dawes invited the two Russian children into their home to give their immune systems a rest from the radiation - contaminated soil, water and air in Belarus, caused by the 1986 explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Glen and Deb Haney, of RR 4 Seaforth, are also participating in the program and seven-year-old Anastasia Kuzemchanka is living with them this summer. Because the Dawes communicated with the Tsibouk family by e-mail throughout the year following Sasha's first visit, Sasha and Lena quickly fit right in with the family this year. "After we picked them up and brought them home, Sasha went right off to his room as soon as we got here, with Lena following behind. He settled right in because he's familiar with his surroundings," says Lynn. Lena has been very helpful during the first three weeks of their visit, helping take the laundry off the clothesline, setting the table and taking what she calls the ,. "food garbage" out to the backyard compost bin. "They don't recycle at home so the idea of compost is new to them," says Lynn. While the Dawes worked very hard with a Russian/English dictionary during the first two weeks last year, it only took a day for Sasha to be able to communicate well in English again. And, while he serves as a translator for his sister, Lynn says sometimes his role as big brother gets in the way of helping Lena communicate. "One day I heard Lena says the word `computer' and then Sasha say, `Nyet.' She wanted to play on the computer but he couldn't be bothered to turn it on for her so 1 helped her out," she laughs. The Dawes have reduced last year's phone bills by using the internet this year and the Tsibouk children are e -mailing their parents as often as they wish. "It costs $3 a minute to phone Belarus so e-mail keeps them in touch with home," says Lynn. She's impressed with Sasha's skills on the computer keyboard, saying his spelling and familiarity with the English keyboard is better than most Canadian kids his age. Because health problems such as thyroid cancer and respiratory problems have skyrocketed in Belarus since the disaster, building the children's immune systems,is a big priority of the visit. To that end, a trip for a physical to a Seaforth doctor revealed that their thyroid glands seem fine. A trip to the optometrist showed that neither child has any sign of glaucoma, which is being seen in high numbers recently in Belarus. Lena was not so lucky during a trip to the dentist, where she spent an hour and a half in the chair receiving a root canal, two fillings and the extraction of four teeth. "She was in a lot of pain at first but it got less and less everyday. Now, we joke when we drive past the dentist's office and Lena says, `No dentists,'" says Lynn. She questions how up-to- date dentistry is in Belarus since Lena had just visited the dentist at home before the trip to Canada. As well, Sasha and Lena are eating a lot of fruit and vegetables;'Lynn remarks, groanly good-naturedly about her' $300 -a -week grocery bills. "Lena is skinny as a rail but she's a big eater and can eat fruit galofe. They're used to eating really starchy foods and fruit and veggies don't fill them up the same way," she says. While Sasha slept a lot during his first trip last year, Lena is the one who needs extra sleep this year. Lynn says it's common for children in Belarus to be get a severe case of the flu several times a winter and Lena was no exception last winter with flu that sent her to bed for a couple of weeks two or three times. Sasha is in good health but still had to make a trip to Sealorth hospital's emergency department alter he fell from a bicycle and needed stitches. The effects of radiation in Belarus can make people very Tight sensiti'e and Sasha found the overhead lights very painful to Iiis eyes when he was getting the stitches. However. Sasha was ver� impressed by the Seaforth hospital and its technology. "He said our hospital is so very clean." says Lynn. The Haneys are this summer hosting the younger sister of a Belarussian hov. Roman. they had visit in 1997. While they took a hreak from the Chernohy1 program during the several years it took to huild an addition to their house. the Haneys, like the Dawes. wanted to help the same family they developed a relationship with during their first experience in the program. Roman. now 1-L continued writing to the l-laneys after his visit and both families hegan sending gifts and cards for birthdays and phoning at Christmas and Easter. At seven: Anastasia is the youngest child from Belarus visiting Huron County. "We knew Roman had a younger sister so we asked for her but we didn't realize how young she was. At first her parents said she was too young but then they changed their minds since the oppportui ity was too good to pass up. And. since we know the mom and dad. we've built up their trust." says Glen. While Anastasia was pale and needed to sleep a lot when she first arrived. she's "got roses in her cheeks now." says Deh. She has a good appetite. loves bananas. grapes and cherries and ice cream. "We went cherry picking and she really pigged out on the cherries." says the Haneys' son. nine-year-old Brian. Like Lena. Anastasia hail a difficult visit to the dentist, who discovered she had six cavities. The Haneys are impressed by hom affectionate and helpful Anastasia is. "Her room is immaculate. She makes her bed every morning. And, she hugs us all the time," says Deb. During Roman's visit, Glen says they put aside the Russian/English dictionary the second day when Roman told him clearly about a big fish he's seen in a nearby stream. And, while touring the chicken barn with Glen, Roman said , "Your chickens are in prison. Our chickens run free." But, Anastasia's English is not yet at the same level and the Haneys are having a bit more difficulty communicating. "She's starting to understand us better but she still gets frustrated when she can't get across what she wants to say," says Deb. The Haneys say they've become very interested in Belarus and what life is like there. "The translator told us her whole apartment is a big as our kitchen. We can learn a lot from them about materialism. With what little they have, they cherish everything," says Deb. While the Haneys received many gifts, such as chocolate and Russian bowls and dishes from Anastasia's family, Glen says he's just grateful he's had the opportunity 'to participate in the program. "1 wish they wouldn't send gifts. Tey don't need to because their gift to us is their child," he says.