More than a billion people worldwide face challenges due to disabilities, with many disabled children encountering discrimination and neglect. Rustam, born in Russia with severe malformations, was abandoned at birth. The United Nations’ 2006 convention marked a turning point, safeguarding disabled individuals, including abandoned children in certain nations.

Nika Zlobin and her husband Yuri, from Moscow, came across Rustam’s photo in 2017. Despite his complex needs, including speech therapy and surgery, they were determined to adopt him. Nika recalls, “There was a hole instead of a face.” Their initial meeting defied expectations, and they saved Rustam from a bleak future in a “house of the disabled.” The couple, treating Rustam like their own, provided him with a loving home, challenging common adoption concerns. They emphasize collaboration in his therapy, fostering a sense of equality and belonging for Rustam.