Dima Kalekin, a little boy from Ukraine, doesn‘t remember his real parents. The day he was born, Dima was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain. As soon as his mom and dad heard it, they abandoned their newborn in the hospital.
The boy was sent to an orphanage for disabled children in Kramatorsk, in the east of Ukraine. When Dima was four years old, he couldn‘t walk or even use a spoon. But many were surprised that the boy lived for so long and even learned a few words and short phrases.
Dima didn‘t know the fate had prepared another challenge for him and other kids in the orphanage. A military conflict emerged in the east of Ukraine. It took lives of many innocent people and made thousands move out from the war zone. The disabled orphans also had to be evacuated, but the government couldn‘t find a place for them in other cities. For more than a week, seriously ill children, who need constant care, were transported from place to place. Finally, they were transferred to the city of Kharkov, Ukraine.
The medical crew headed by Dr. Elizabeth Glinka couldn‘t hold back their tears. Dima was hardly alive. The doctors understood how bleak this unadoptable child‘s life would be. The boy was doomed to spend all his life in the small orphanage without a chance to become a member of society.
But what happened a couple of weeks after was a real miracle. The orphanage was contacted by Ernest and Ruth Chavez from Vermont, USA. The couple were touched to tears by the terrible news from distant Ukraine so they decided to adopt an orphan from a warring region. When they saw a photo of Dima, they understood he would be their son.
Soon, the new mom and dad flew halfway across the world to meet Dima.
In their big house, Ernest and Ruth already had seven adopted children from different countries. Dima became their eighth child. The experienced adoptive parents quickly collected documents, and two months after their first meeting, Dima had a new family and even a new name — Zebdai Chavez.
On their Facebook page, Ernest and Ruth tell about their youngest son‘s life in America. Surrounded by loving and caring people, spoiled by their tenderness and attention, little Zeb literally blossomed. He confidently eats with a spoon, he speaks, understands two languages and even makes his first steps.
Doctors believe that in the future he will be able to develop essential life skills.
Zeb-Dima has gone through many medical procedures in his life, but looking at his smile, who can doubt that this kid will fight to the end?
