When she was just four years old, little Anna Pesenko, trying to be a good girl, sitting up straight and eating her food nicely, would sometimes just pass out and fall flat onto the table. 'Annya' as she is called, could not explain very well what was wrong with her. No wonder her mother Valentina got very worried and took her to the doctor, who discovered a tumour in the girl's head. The cancer was removed, but Annya never regained her health and has seen so many doctors that she gets terrified whenever she sees a white coat.
Annya was born in a village highly contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown of 1986. She has had cancer since the age of 4. On bad days Annya exhaustion and pain are too much for her due to a brain tumour that returned in 2000.
Even so, a committee of doctors decided she should have a'Chernobyl certificate' because Annya's father, Vacheslav, was from avillage highly contaminated as a result of Chernobyl. Theyvisited Zakopytye often before the village was destroyed and buried.Annya carries certificate no. 000358. It reads: "This person has theright to the privileges that are given by the government of theRepublic of Belarus for the victims of the Chernobyl catastrophe asspecified under article 18/ issued by the Gomel Municipality." The muchsought-after piece of paper gives the holder access to certain healthinstitutions, a selection of free medicines, a 50 percent discount onutilities bills, and free public transport.
Now, at 15, Annya is still trying. When she is strong enough, shestudies together with her teachers, who come and visit her at home:"Our republic is rich in resources: limestone, salt, chalk and oil areamongst them", Annya wrote down in the spring. A week later the neatregular handwriting continued: "The Russian scientist Mendeleev createdthe periodic table of elements. The city of Gomel has a chemicalplant." There are no recent entries.
Recently Annya was rushed into hospital and kept on artificialrespiration at the intensive care unit for 17 days. This has becomealmost a routine since the brain tumour reappeared in 2000. Back home,she lies back onto her pillows like a wilted plant, too weak to move,surrounded by her cuddly toys.
Two boys from the neighbourhood, Andrei and Zhenja, have been herfaithful friends. Annya's mother shows a picture where her daughter hascut out the face of a girl. "Last autumn Annya's hair fell out", shesays: "I think boys understand her better." Girlfriends have stoppedvisiting, deliberately or out of cruel forgetfulness. The young, thestrong and healthy are maybe too pre-occupied with growing up andliving or afraid of being confronted with someone who is so obviouslynot.
Annya whimpers in pain as the masseur kneads her legs to improve bloodcirculation. "Especially the places where we inject her medication arevery painful. We have to use force and press the skin to keep themedicine in", her mother explains. This week the masseur has come everyday, and each time he presses more firmly. "Don't cry Annya. Don'tcry", Valentina repeats her soothing mantra, trying to calm herdaughter down.
She takes a picture of the Holy Anna, her daughter's namesake, andbends over to whisper a prayer into Annya's ears. At night, Valentinaand Vacheslav sleep on the floor next to their daughter's bed, forAnnya has to be turned every 15 minutes to prevent bedsores. Thegirl needs help with everything. While Vacheslav washes the soiledsheets by hand, Valentina carefully replaces them from a pile offreshly washed and pressed cotton towels, stacked in a corner. Nobodyin the family gets much sleep; all three are exhausted.
Vacheslav leaves for his chauffeuring job at the chemical plant firstthing in the morning. "And I drink coffee all day to stay awake, but Iam so tired", says Valentina.
When the nurse comes and busies herself with looking after Annya,Valentina has time to show the picture albums that she is puttingtogether to document her daughter's life. There are pictures of Annyaon her trip to Scotland and silly ones of the girl dressed up as theRussian rock idol Zemphira. There are also pictures of the last tripsto the farmhouse with the frail girl all wrapped up in a big thick coatto cushion her, a wide smile under a woolly beanie hat.
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The above text is an extract from the forth-coming book;Certificate no. 000358/Nuclear devastation in Kazakhstan, Ukraine,Belarus, the Urals and Siberia. © (Photography) 2006 Robert Knoth, ©(Text) 2006 Antoinette de Jong.