The Inspiring Journey of Zebadiah: Overcoming Challenges and Finding a Loving Family
His parents left him in a Ukrainian hospital after learning that he had hydrocephalus.
Zebadiah’s life took a difficult turn when his parents abandoned him upon discovering his condition, hydrocephalus. Left behind at a Ukrainian hospital, he was later transferred to an orphanage in Kramatorsk, Eastern Ukraine, specifically for children with disabilities.
The staff at the orphanage worried that he wouldn’t mature properly due to the lack of growth he was making at the time.
At the tender age of four, Zebadiah faced significant developmental challenges. He struggled with basic tasks such as eating and walking, raising concerns among the orphanage staff about his overall growth and well-being.
Being alive and well at that time was seen as a miracle by Dima and the personnel at the orphanage.
Despite the hardships he faced, every day Zebadiah remained alive and healthy was considered a miraculous feat by both Zebadiah himself and the caring personnel at the orphanage.
The residents of the orphanage anticipated Dima would be one of the casualties of the fighting due to a lack of food, water, and medicine. Before he ‘went,’ they even invited a priest to the room to pray for him.
Amidst the conflict in 2014, the orphanage residents, including Zebadiah, found themselves compelled to leave and seek refuge in a safer location. Their departure was accompanied by grave concerns that Zebadiah, like many others, would succumb to the lack of essential resources such as food, water, and medicine. In anticipation of his uncertain fate, the residents even arranged for a priest to visit and pray for his well-being.
Dima demonstrated that he has the strength to fight despite all of the challenges. Like the other kids at the orphanage, Dima made it out alive.
Remarkably, Zebadiah showed immense resilience in the face of adversity and, against all odds, managed to survive the difficult circumstances alongside the other children from the orphanage.
Eventually, he ran upon an American family that had previously adopted children. Seven children had already been adopted by Ernest and Ruth Chaves of Vermont. They finished all the paperwork and fell in love with Dima. The Chaves are now Dima’s parents. Zebadiah has become a loving nickname for Dima.
Fate intervened when Zebadiah crossed paths with Ernest and Ruth Chaves, an American couple who had previously adopted seven children. Touched by Zebadiah’s story, the Chaves completed the necessary paperwork and, with overflowing affection, welcomed him into their family. From that point forward, Zebadiah became an integral part of their lives, affectionately referred to by his new name.
Thanks to the Chaves’ unrelenting love and care, Zebadiah rapidly learned to feed himself and is now able to walk with a walker. Unexpectedly, he was able to become proficient in each of these abilities in less than a year.
Under the unwavering love and devoted care of the Chaves, Zebadiah experienced remarkable progress. He quickly acquired the skills to feed himself and now navigates his surroundings with the assistance of a walker. Astonishingly, within a year, he achieved proficiency in these fundamental abilities.
Zebadiah is committed to pushing himself to improve his mental and motor skills in addition to speaking English and Ukrainian with ease.
With an unwavering determination, Zebadiah strives to further enhance his cognitive and physical abilities. Alongside mastering English and Ukrainian effortlessly, he dedicates himself to personal growth and achieving milestones beyond expectations.
Zebadiah’s extraordinary journey serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love and care. Through the compassion and dedication of his adoptive family, he has been given a new chance at life, demonstrating that with support and determination, one can triumph over adversity and reach new heights of personal achievement.