The Soviet Union was accused of trying to cover up the extent of the disaster and little is still known about the full impact of the radioactive fallout on Europe. However, Magdalena Ines Kmiecik from Poland is sure her cancer, as well as her mother and brother’s must be related to the nuclear accident. Ms Ines was born in Chelm, a small city in eastern Poland, and was around five years old when the Chernobyl disaster happened.
When she was 17 her mother suffered from a cancer that meant her uterus had to be removed.
Ms Ines Kmiecik told Express.co.uk: “It was a very serious operation, with small chances that my mum would survive it.
“I remember sitting with her every day, every night, begging doctors to let me stay with her in her room.”
Fortunately, her mother survived her ordeal, but just a few years later Ms Ines Kmiecik was herself diagnosed with last-stage pre-invasive cervical cancer, and had to have part of her cervix removed.
READ MORE: Chernobyl explained: How many people died in Chernobyl?
The long-term health effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are not entirely known (Image: GETTY)
Then, three years ago, she was told her brother had a brain tumour “as big as an orange”.
She told Express.co.uk: “The tumour ate its way through his nose, cheek bone, pushed his brain to the back of his head.
“The worst part was they couldn’t find a neurosurgeon who would agree to even do the surgery, because the tumour was so big and the odds so small.
“Thankfully, my mama had a lot of connections within the health system in Poland.
Memorial ceremony at the monument for Chernobyl victims in Slavutych (Image: GETTY)
“She had a lot of friends who were doctors and after many conversations they agreed to help her.”
The surgery had an estimated 10-20 percent survival chance, but again her family pulled through and he survived the surgery.
But, three months later the tumour was back and he has since had multiple surgeries, some involving opening up parts of his skull.
In January this year, Ms Ines Kmiecik again had to undergo surgery to remove tumours from her
