Recently, a schoolgirl from Cork named Ciara Judge became the subject of media attention after it came to light that she had not only won Google’s Science Fair last year, but she has also used €1,000 of her prize money to fund the life-saving surgery of a baby girl in Ukraine. Her selfless act is being discussed all over the Internet right now, and everyone agrees that Ciara Judge is a hero.
According to Ciara herself, she didn’t actually expect to get any recognition for her donation, which she submitted to the organization Chernobyl Children International several months ago. However, the CEO of the organization Adi Roche personally got in touch with her to explain to her how they had used her money.
Specifically, the €1,000 was used for a much-needed surgery for a little girl who was suffering from “Chernobyl Heart”, a life-threatening condition specific to the region that has been caused by mutations due to background radiation. The condition is very dangerous and can quickly put the life of a baby at risk if it’s not noticed and treated immediately. Initially, everything seems fine, but shortly after birth, the heart of a baby suffering from this condition starts developing numerous holes which prevent its normal operation.
If left untreated, the condition is always fatal – however, that treatment is quite expensive for the local standards, and thanks to Ciara Judge, the little girl got a chance to actually live her life. Ciara herself has been sent a photograph of the baby, who is currently 14 months old, and she said that she’s hopeful to some day actually meet her in person.
She stated that she intends to keep in touch with her, and she might one day go over to Ukraine on a charity-related trip, when she hopes she would get a chance to see the child with her own eyes. It seems like Ciara is very determined to continue dedicating much of her life to charity work, an attitude which is certainly commendable in today’s world where everyone tends to think of themselves first and foremost.
Judging by the kinds of discussions this act has generated online though, Ciara has helped in more ways than one – she seems to have inspired countless people to look into the situation of children and babies in Ukraine, and help out with whatever they can. Because today, despite the huge distance that separates us from people in hard situations, we’ve actually never been closer to them and more able to help them out. The Internet has made it possible to reach out to those who truly need our help, and it’s the responsibility of all of us to do that as much as possible.