At birth, Dima was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” And when his parents saw him for the first time, they made a heartless choice.

They left the hospital without him and never looked back.

Dima was forced to begin life in a orphanage for disabled children in Krematorsk in eastern Ukraine, writes the Ukrainian newspaperFour years later, Dima still couldn’t do simple things like eat with utensils or walk. The orphanage staff doubted that he’d develop normally in the future. But they were surprised he had survived for so long and could even say a few words.

But it wouldn’t be the last time that Dima would surprise the world.
When war broke out in eastern Ukraine in early 2014, Dima suddenly faced a new danger: the orphanage was in the middle of a disputed area.