Abhiroop Das
Created by Gustavo Lipsztein, Netflix’s ‘Radioactive Emergency,’ also known as ‘Emergência Radioativa,’ dramatizes the real-life Goiânia disaster of 1987, which was triggered by two locals’ discovery of an improperly discarded radioactive capsule and ultimately resulted in countless lives being endangered and a few even being lost. The Brazilian docudrama show presents a fictionalized depiction to flesh out the nuances of the tragedy, presenting how, even as doctors try to provide treatment to the affected, the systemic failures around them prove this to be a nigh impossible task. The ones most affected by this, however, are the residents of Goiânia, who unwittingly find themselves trapped in a nightmarish reality. One such heartbreaking case is that of Celeste, who is separated from her mother because of a quarantine process and has to fight for her survival in the face of radiation poisoning. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Celeste Passes Away After a Month-Long Battle With Radiation Poisoning
Celeste dies in the penultimate episode of ‘Radioactive Emergency,’ never reuniting with her mother after their separation early on in the story. Although the doctors try everything in their power, including an experimental, high-dosage treatment using Prussian Blue, all of their efforts ultimately fail. The deciding factor in Celeste’s fate is the fact that she is perhaps the only person to consume large quantities of cesium along with her food. This means that, on top of the contamination she is exposed to from the outside, she also has to battle with her body shutting down from the inside. Although she initially shows a positive response to the treatment, her condition soon worsens, which causes her to breathe her last.
The tragedy in Celeste’s death lies in the fact that she is the most enamored by cesium’s phosphorescent dust flakes. What she likens to space dust turns out to be her silent killer, but its effects don’t stop there. Celeste’s mother, Catarina, has to face discrimination while burying her daughter, as hundreds of locals claim that Celeste’s body can contaminate the nearby region. Although the CNEN takes utmost precaution in sealing her body shut, the locals resort to pelting bricks and stones, showing how such a crisis can push people to their limits. In the end, both of Celeste’s parents survive the radiation poisoning, but are now left with a gaping hole in their lives, as the person they loved the most is gone forever.
Celeste is Based on a Real-Life Victim Who Died at the Age of Six
Celeste is based on Leide das Neves Ferreira, the youngest victim of the Goiânia accident, who died at the age of six due to radiation poisoning. Leide was the daughter of Ivo and Lurdes Ferreira, whose house was listed as the second major hotspot for radioactive contamination. After the capsule was initially discovered and found its way to Devair Ferreira, Ivo scraped some dust from it and took it back to his house, having no idea of the consequences. Leide was reportedly intrigued by the dust’s phosphorescent effect and applied some to her body, then later had a meal with her contaminated hands. As per test results, Leide experienced the highest exposure to radiation among those affected, with her intake of cesium-137 being recorded to be 1.0 GBq (gigabecquerel).
It has been reported that, at the time of her death, Leide had an estimated internal dose of cesium that read between 4 and 6 Gy (gray), which is a fatal dose that rendered all medical treatment ineffective. For weeks, she had to endure internal bleeding, excessive swelling in the upper body, alopecia, and organ failure. Although she received a number of treatments, even experimental, such as a high dosage of Prussian Blue to accelerate the decontamination, Leide ultimately passed away on 23 October 1987, with records stating septicemia and generalized infection as the primary cause of death.
Leide was buried in a local cemetery in Goiânia, and though she was placed inside a fiberglass coffin with a lead lining specifically to avoid further contamination, locals reportedly showed a high degree of paranoia. As news of her burial reached the region, as many as 2000 people reportedly gathered on-site to protest against it. It has been said that some protestors even pelted stones and bricks to interrupt the process, but Leide was buried there despite the disruptions. A state health center named after Leide Das Neves has been built where the Goiano Radiotherapy Institute once stood, which speaks to how she is remembered as a brave hero in the face of tragedy.
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