Dear Friends, this past Thursday night I brought together a circle of my closest friends to help me wage a war against an invisible enemy: The medical, social and economic challenges that still plague children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Proceeds from the event will support Chernobyl Children’s Project International’s cardiac surgery program.

Mel and I, and our friends, joined together at Romanov Restaurant & Lounge in Studio City to share a meal and send both our heartfelt wishes and resources to help these children. I’d like to thank my dear friend, Mikayel Israyelyan, for hosting a memorable evening.

Adi Roche, founder of CCPI, came all the way from Ireland, and vividly described the situation in Chernobyl regions today, where families and communities still suffer medical, social and economic consequences of the 1986 nuclear accident. She told our guests, “The images from Chernobyl are different from the deeply disturbing images of war that we see on our TV screens every night, where one can see the immediacy of bullets and bombs. But the war of Chernobyl is none the less deadly – it just happens to be invisible, slowly permeating everything, affecting the very cycle of life itself.”

Today in Ukraine, 6000 children are born every year with genetic heart defects. More than half of these children will not get the surgery they need to survive and will die. Funds raised on Thursday will allow Chernobyl Children’s Project International to send volunteer surgery teams to Ukraine and Belarus to operate on children for free and train local physicians.

Friends, you can join us in this work. Visit my website at Oksana.fm to learn about how you can get involved. Over the next few weeks you can see your donations in action by visiting my blog, Twitter, and Facebook Pages to see photos of children receiving life saving surgeries in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Love Oksana

Dear Friends,

In less than two weeks, a volunteer children’s heart surgery team will arrive in Kharkiv, Ukraine. For two weeks, they will operate on young patients and save lives – lives like Misha’s.

When he was four months old, Misha was diagnosed with a VSD – a hole between the two pumping chambers of his heart. The defect caused too much blood to flow to his lungs, making his heart work harder and harder to supply blood to his tiny body. For Misha, the most common childlike activities were like running a marathon.

Over the next three years of his life, Misha suffered repeated lung infections and became increasingly frail. His devastated parents were told that his disabilities would increase, and that he would not live to see adulthood.

Last August, a free operation changed Misha’s life forever. One week after bringing him in, his parents were laughing and joking as they prepared for their long journey home. The support of donors like you made their journey one of hope rather than heartbreak.

Stories like this are why I am so committed to raise funds and awareness to help Chernobyl Children’s Project International help more children like Misha. I can’t do it alone – and I am so grateful for and moved by the help I’ve received in spreading the word.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, but some thanks are in order to the people who have joined us in this effort so far. Thanks to my Twitter followers @oksanafm who “re-tweet” messages to get the word out.

I appreciate my friends on Facebook, plus groups like GolubchikTV and Bono Street Team, who so enthusiastically made this important cause their own. (Please click here to join my Page on Facebook.)

Bloggers like Look to the Stars, Lauren John of Music.co.uk, I Love Bolly, and Mickie’s Zoo posted my public service announcement, as did news outlets like Komolskaya Pravda, Women.ru and ET Online.

Friends, visit my site at oksana.fm to learn more about what you can do now to help children in Ukraine and Belarus look to the future with hope.

Love, Oksana

Dear Friends,

Since starting my charity initiative to help Chernobyl Children’s Project International save the lives of children in Ukraine and Belarus, I’ve been most moved by the personal stories of the children. Every year, 6000 children are born in Ukraine with genetic heart disease. Half will not get the surgeries they need to survive and will die.

Six thousand children – such a large number! And yet Maxim’s story reminds me that behind the dry statistics are real children, each with unique personality and potential.

Six year old Maxim M., from Odessa, Ukraine, dreams of being a pop star. His mother is a bit more practical – she wants him to get a university education and become a doctor.

Less than six months ago both of these dreams were out of reach. Maxim was born with Ebstein’s anomoly, a rare cardiac defect with a dire prognosis. He had survived two serious operations – his first at only 12 days of age – but only a single chamber of his heart was left functioning. His devastated parents were told that we would likely die before adulthood.

When a volunteer cardiac surgery team sent by Chernobyl Children’s Project International met Maxim in August, his skin color was pale and his lips blue. He was underweight and noticeably small for his age, and his poor circulation left him unable to participate in normal activities. The volunteers examined Maxim and decided that his heart was strong enough for one more operation.

But during surgery Maxim’s heart – scarred from previous operations – failed four times and had to be shocked back to life. In the end his strong heart won the battle – I’ve been told that he can live a long, normal life without further surgery.

Maxim’s father long worked extra hours as a fisherman to raise funds to pay for a surgery to save his son’s life – but never raised enough. Though the generosity of supporters like you, Chernobyl Children’s Project International was able give Maxim his operation free. Finally, the biggest question weighing his mind (and that of his relieved parents) is: Pop star or doctor?

Maxim’s life has been saved, but many other children need our help, and we can do it if we join together. Please watch my public service announcement, and think about how you can help – with a donation, a purchase,volunteering your talents, or helping me spread the word.
Thank you, Oksana

Dear friends, thank you for your kind emails and notes on my Facebook page. It means a lot to me.

It’s been a while since my last post, please forgive me — I’ve been busy!

There is so much I’d like to share with you. In October, I finished a great deal of promotional work for my album in the United States, as well as in England. London was beautiful! I did a lot of press interviews, as well as going on talk shows, such as GMTV.

At the end of October, as you may know already, I had a beautiful baby daughter, Lucia Anna. She has brought so much joy, light and inspiration to my life! Despite a busy schedule of motherly duties, I’ve already started writing a book of children’s songs. And I’m becoming more actively involved in children’s charities.

In the last few months, I’ve been investing a lot of time and energy into becoming a spokesperson for Chernobyl Children’s Project International (CCPI). We are raising funds to send volunteer heart surgery teams to Ukraine and Belarus to perform free operations on children who have genetic heart disease. Without our help, most of these children will not get the surgeries they need to survive and will die.

Tonight, I’m being interviewed by Mario Lopez on Extra. I’ll be introducing my work with Chernobyl Children’s Project International, and performing a song called Angel. This song is now a single on iTunes, All proceeds from the purchase of this song will go directly to helping these children get their surgeries.

I always dreamed that if I were fortunate enough to have my music heard, I could use that opportunity to do something good. That time has come. On my website, you can learn more and find out how you can help and get involved, if you wish.

Last week, we filmed a public service announcement about the project and what is happening in Chernobyl regions today. At the top of this post, you can see a photo of myself with my colleague Tracy Miller. (She’s holding the “boom.”) We filmed in the “studio”/family room of my home just outside of Los Angeles.  It is where I practice and do my composing on an old piano that goes wherever I go.  I’ve never done a public service announcement before. Between the baby calling me from the next room, and the sounds of planes overhead, we got it done – and I think it really conveys the urgency of the cause and what I am asking you all to help me do.  In the second picture, you can see me writing out my cue cards in Russian. (I’m hoping to reach out to the Russian speaking community as well.) Russian is my native language.
I appreciate any help or support you can give me in this effort! Thank you, Oksana