'It Ruined Normal Life': 35 Years Later, Chernobyl Worker Still Suffering From Nuclear Disaster

Former Chernobyl power plant worker Anna Shynkarenko remembers the confusion and delayed evacuation of families following the 1986 nuclear disaster in what was then the Soviet Union. She says she was initially kept in the dark about the seriousness of the worst-ever civilian nuclear accident and even worked her shift at the power plant the day after the disaster. When Shynkarenko, her husband, and three daughters were finally evacuated from their home in nearby Prypyat, they were all suffering from radiation-related illnesses. "Chernobyl took our childhood away," said one of her daughters, "and it ruined normal life for you and Dad."