Chernobyl Hero-Pilot in U.S. for Bone Marrow Transplant

SEATTLE — A Soviet pilot suffering a pre-cancerous condition because of his heroic flights to staunch radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear plant underwent a transplant of bone marrow rushed from a French donor on Friday.

Four years and a day after the Chernobyl disaster, marrow donated by a 42-year-old woman was flown to Seattle on Friday for transfusion into Anatoly Grishchenko.

The marrow arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on a British Airways flight originating in Paris.

The marrow arrived one day after the fourth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine. The transplant procedure was expected to take from two to 10 hours.

In September, 1988, Grishchenko was found to have a pre-leukemia condition, typified by low counts of blood platelets needed for clotting and of white blood cells to fight infection and disease.

Grishchenko, 53, is the first Chernobyl victim to receive medical care in the United States. He has up to a 75% chance of survival without a recurrence of the condition for five years, said Susan Edmonds of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The transplant was arranged by Cap Parlier, light helicopter testing and evaluation director for McDonnell Douglas Corp., who said he spoke with Grishchenko by telephone a few hours before the transfusion was set to begin.

The Soviet civilian helicopter test pilot, who arrived at Hutchinson on April 11, underwent a final round of radiation therapy Friday afternoon, Parlier said.

Grishchenko was honored as a Soviet hero for making five flights over Chernobyl in the four days after an explosion and fire at the reactor on April 26, 1986.

He flew repeatedly through the hot radioactive gases spewing from the plant to survey the damage and to dump tons of sand and wet concrete onto the wreckage.

According to official figures, 31 people were killed. Unofficial reports said at least 250 died.