In addition, the devastating nuclear accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986 continues to adversely affect the lives of Eastern Europeans both medically and psychologically. In her role as medical advisor for a church-related organization, WELS Lutherans for Life, Lindemann assists in providing supplies and training for a mobile pediatric clinic that travels thoughout western Ukraine. What began as a Chernobyl relief effort, is now a public health program aimed at identifying major health issues and providing public education. A high rate of iron deficiency anemia, for example, due to poor nutrition is aggravated by Ukrainian mothers' reluctance to breast-feed their infants based upon an unfounded fear that the human milk contains nuclear contamination. She made a trip to Ukraine in 1999 for the purpose of training Ukrainian physicians about this and other pediatric issues.
Life is very difficult in Ukraine.
Rates of alcoholism and depression are very high. Physicians there are government employees and many have not been paid a salary in more than two years. Yet, there is a love of life and desire to improve that warms the heart. Whenever I feel life is too challenging, I have only to think about life in Ukraine and I return to a feeling of contentment. Lindemann plans to continue her involvement in Ukraine, where, as in other former Soviet republics, they have begun to adapt their medical education and service systems to a more westernized system.