This is Dima Kalekin from Ukraine. He has no memories of his biological parents.
When his parents first saw him, they made a heartless choice. They left the hospital without him and never looked back.
Dima was left to start his life in an orphanage for disabled children in Krematorsk, in eastern Ukraine.
Four years later, Dima still struggled with basic skills like eating with utensils or walking.
The orphanage staff doubted he would ever develop normally. They were surprised he had survived this long and could even say a few words.
It wasn’t the last time Dima would defy expectations
When war erupted in eastern Ukraine in early 2014, Dima faced a new danger, as the orphanage was located in a conflict zone. Alongside the other children, he was forced to evacuate to find safety.
For an entire week, the children and staff moved from place to place without water, food, or medicine.
Eventually, a group of separatists saw that some of the children. They were on the verge of death and handed them over to Ukrainian authorities.
The children were taken to a hospital in Kharkiv
Upon seeing Dima, doctors had to hold back tears, as the toll of fleeing from the war was evident.
They didn’t believe Dima could survive in the war-torn region. Desperate, they reached out to a priest to pray for a family to adopt the boy, according to Hefty.
The priest’s prayers were soon answered
Dima and his friends were moved to a new orphanage, and shortly after, Ernest and Ruth Chaves from Vermont, USA, arrived.
The couple, who had heard about the crisis, wanted to adopt a child from the war zone.
The moment they saw Dima, they knew he was the one.
They decided to adopt Dima, and his life changed once again, this time for the better.
Ernest and Ruth, had already adopted seven children. They,m were experienced parents and well-versed in the necessary paperwork. This enabled Dima to join them in Vermont relatively quickly.
Two months after visiting the orphanage in Ukraine, Dima traveled to his new home in the U.S. to meet his new family.
Dima was given a new name, Zebadiah Chaves. Life with his new family was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He began to thrive immediately, and within days of arriving in Vermont, he surprised his parents by eating with a spoon.
A year later, the boy who had left Ukraine on the brink of death was transformed.
Now, Zebadiah can speak, understands both Ukrainian and English, and can walk.
American doctors have examined Zebadiah’s brain and believe it hasn’t suffered significant damage from the disease, giving him a good chance for normal development.
What an inspiring fighter!
Zebadiah still has a long journey ahead and will need multiple surgeries, but he’s already shown the world his incredible strength and will to live.
Seeing him today in 2022 gives us all reasons to smile—what a handsome young boy he has become!
It’s almost hard to believe he’s the same child that Ernest and Ruth adopted.