When they learned of his condition, his parents left him.
After he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, his parents took him to a Ukrainian hospital.
Dima was then transferred to a disabled children’s orphanage in Kramatorsk, Eastern Ukraine.
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Dima was unable to walk or eat on his own when he was four years old. Because he was still a child at the time, the staff at the orphanage were concerned that he would not mature appropriately.
However, they all wished he had a longer life. Dima and the staff of the orphanage considered it a miracle to be alive at the time.
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The Dima Orphanage’s residents were forced to flee during the conflict in 2014 and seek safety elsewhere.
Due to the lack of food, water, and medicine, the residents of the orphanage assumed Dima was one of the battle victims. They even invited the priest into the room to pray for him before he “went.”
Dima demonstrated his ability to persevere through adversity. Dima, like the other orphans, made it through.
At last, he met an American family who had embraced kids previously. Seven children have already been adopted by Ernest and Ruth Chaves of Vermont.
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They fell in love with Dima after completing all of the paperwork.
Dima’s parents are now the Chaves. Dima’s affectionate nickname was Zebadiah.
Zebadiah quickly learned to feed himself and is now able to walk with a walker thanks to Chavee’s constant love and care. He was able to learn all of these skills in less than a year, which surprised everyone.
In addition to learning Ukrainian and English, Zebadiah is committed to improving his mental and motor skills.