When Lister went through a screening afterwards, radiation was detected on her boots. The rest of her body tested negative.

In all, she went through screening twice. Working days that stretched to 7 p.m. meant she often didn’t make it to the detection stations before they closed at 5 p.m.

For one of her screenings, she brought a dog found five kilometres from the plant. The canine – in the area for more than a month – was checked for radiation. “He was OK.”

Lister would usually return to her parents’ house in the evening, but stayed overnight in the evacuation zone twice. At one point, workers at the nuclear plant spotted her. They helped her find addresses and gave her better protective clothing.

Radiation wasn’t the only danger. Lister said she felt 20 earthquakes in 10 days, and a 6.5-magnitude quake that triggered a tsunami warning hit while she was in Fukushima.

“My friend texted me and said, ‘run, run away.’ So we drove as fast as we (could).”

Despite the risks, Lister said the efforts are worthwhile. And it seems others agree.

Lister returned to her husband, Kelly, and her restaurant, Yucca Tree Café, to find strangers who had read her story in Peace Arch News offering to donate or help fundraise.

“I’m very surprised and I’m happy because Canadian people are so nice,” she said. “I want to tell everybody about this, then the Japanese government can do something about the animals.”

Lister hasn’t yet ruled out a return to the evacuation zone, where her friend is continuing to volunteer.

Kelly, who acknowledges he wasn’t thrilled about Lister’s first trip, said nothing will stop her if she decides to go back.

“If she said she’s going again, I’ll say no again, but she won’t listen this time, either.”

“My friend texted me and said, ‘run, run away.’ So we drove as fast as we (could).”

Despite the risks, Lister said the efforts are worthwhile. And it seems others agree.

Lister returned to her husband, Kelly, and her restaurant, Yucca Tree Café, to find strangers who had read her story in Peace Arch News offering to donate or help fundraise.

“I’m very surprised and I’m happy because Canadian people are so nice,” she said. “I want to tell everybody about this, then the Japanese government can do something about the animals.”

Lister hasn’t yet ruled out a return to the evacuation zone, where her friend is continuing to volunteer.

Kelly, who acknowledges he wasn’t thrilled about Lister’s first trip, said nothing will stop her if she decides to go back.

“If she said she’s going again, I’ll say no again, but she won’t listen this time, either.”

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/peacearchnews/news/120239769.html