Debbie's crusade to save the orphans of Chernobyl.
26 December 2001
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE; Debbie's crusade to save the orphans of Chernobyl.
HAPPY FAMILY: Debbie Deegan and her husband Mick with children Mikey, seven, and Sophie 13, and orphan Zeina, also 13
Byline: CAOIMHE YOUNG
HOUSEWIFE Debbie Deegan has given hundreds of children the most precious Christmas gift - love.
The energetic mum's crusade began when she took care of Russian orphans Zeina and Valya during a holiday in Ireland from their home near Chernobyl.
Their plight touched Debbie so deeply that she adopted Zeina and found a home for Valya near her home in Dublin.
But her compassion didn't end there.
Five years later the 38-year-old from Clontarf, Dublin, runs one of the biggest and best orphan-ages in Russia.
And this year she knew more than 300 children had something to look forward to on Christmas Day.
The mother of three said yesterday: "The children have come such a long way.
"They laugh, they play and they have ambitions."
Debbie described how the process of adopting Zeina was no easy task.
She said: "Zeina never went back to Russia but Valya had to return for just under a year.
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"They came over here for a short holiday with the Chernobyl Children's Trust in 1996.
"Zeina developed meningitis so we were allowed to keep her in Ireland during the adoption process.
"I would have loved to adopt Valya myself but I already had two children and it would not have been fair on them for me to adopt another two kids.
"But the adoption wasn't easy. There was a lot of red tape to deal with here in Ireland. It was very frustrating.
"Zeina is 13 now and she's like any other child. She's got an Irish accent and she considers herself Irish.
"And Valya now lives less than a mile away in Clontarf. She was adopted by a friend of mine.
"It is brilliant to see the two girls reunited. They are great friends."
But giving Zeina and Valya the love they deserve was just the first step for Debbie.
She flew out to the orphanage in Hortylovo near Bryansk, 250 miles south of Moscow, to investigate the conditions.
She was so appalled she decided she had to help the forgotten children of the former Soviet Union.
She said: "I didn't find a home for Valya straight away.
"So I went out to see the conditions she was living in and I couldn't believe my eyes.
"We'd all heard stories but when it's there in front of you it's something you can never forget.
"The children were dirty, smelly and needy. They'd been abandoned by their parents.
"The buildings they lived in were neglected and in some cases dangerous.
"I went in with this dreamy theory that we could paint the orphanage yellow and put upfrilly curtains and everything would be OK. But the problem was far deeper than that.
"What we had to do was give these children a future and make sure they didn't end up in prison or in prostitution.
"They needed to be hugged and kissed and needed to learn to value themselves."
Debbie called her charity To Russia With Love. The organisation has now provided the orphanage with a medical block, a library, a computer room and a woodwork centre.
Debbie said: "We built a new kitchen and showers and found sponsor families in Ireland for each child.
"For the first time in their lives they have clothes and toys.
"They lived in institutions all their lives. Most of them have never seen a teapot or made a telephone call - they didn't know what ordinary family life is like.
"Most of the kids have at least one parent but he or she has been deemed unfit to look after them.
"The children were rejected because parents were alcoholics, in prostitution or in prison.
"The kids have no self-esteem and unless we can change that they'll go exactly the same way."
Debbie has visited Russia 37 times since she founded To Russia With Love.
She paid tribute to the generosity of Irish people who help fund the charity.
She said: "Irish people have been the backbone of the organisation. Their generosity astounds me.
"We are constantly running dances and raffles and they always give what they can."
But Debbie's mission of love is far from over.
The Russian Department of Education has asked her to help rebuild other orphanages.
She said: "In the whole of Russia there are 600,000 children in care, about the same as one fifth of the Irish population.
"We've decided to take on another three - that's 600 more children and by September we'll have another 10."
TO Russia With Love needs donations. If you can help phone 01-8881705/6/7.
Cheques can be sent to Bayview House, 49 North Strand Road, North Strand, Dublin 3.
Or pay in to Bank of Ireland account 53009615, sort code 900594.
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