Parents Discover Boy with Same Rare Genetic Disorder as Their Son — Now Part of Family and Healing (Exclusive)

A Journey of Love and Resilience

After waiting for nearly two years, the Dibbles made a long-awaited trip to Colombia in October 2023 to bring their son Christian home. This moment marked a significant chapter in their lives, as they were not only welcoming a new family member but also providing a child with a rare genetic disorder a chance at a better life.

John and Cassie Dibble's son Jacob was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), commonly known as brittle bone disease, when he was born in 2018. OI is a condition that causes bones to break easily, sometimes without any apparent reason. Now, the Virginia parents of six are raising two children with the same genetic disorder after adopting son Christian, now 14, from Colombia in 2023.

Christian’s arrival in the U.S. was met with challenges. His doctor initially thought he might never be able to walk due to his poor health. However, by June, Christian took his first steps with the help of a walker and leg braces, showing remarkable progress.

When Jacob was born, his first year of life was difficult. He was born with two broken femurs and a dislocated hip, and had 25 fractures before his first birthday. Cassie recalls swaddling him in a blanket instead of dressing him to avoid breaking his delicate bones.

Three years later, when Jacob's treatment regimen and surgeries had "just settled down," the couple began discussing adoption in late 2021. John had read an article about another family who had opted to adopt a child with the same genetic disease as their biological child, which sparked the idea for the Dibbles.

Cassie initially found the idea overwhelming, but she kept thinking about it and soon realized she was capable of caring for another child with similar needs. She felt like she received a message of confirmation from God: "You're equipped for this."

On an anniversary date with John, Cassie shared her thoughts on adoption. During their meal, she opened her phone and began scrolling on an adoption website that allowed users to filter results by children's special needs and disabilities. One profile caught her attention: a boy named Christian who had OI, like Jacob, and whose features reminded her of her husband.

Unbeknownst to her, John had already bookmarked Christian's profile a few months earlier. The Dibbles knew that Christian would get access to the care he needed through the Army, where John is a Reserve officer. Still, their adoption expenses were nearly $55,000, and they sought grants from organizations and got help from their church, which organized a silent auction fundraiser.

They felt they saw God's help in the process, as when a bill for about $10,000 arrived that they didn't have the means to pay. A check for almost that exact amount came in the mail shortly after.

After a nearly two-year wait, which included mountains of paperwork and multiple Zoom conversations with Christian, the Dibbles traveled to Colombia in October 2023 to take their son home. As soon as they met in person for the first time, Christian couldn't contain his joy, his parents say.

The little boy was shaking with joy in his wheelchair and grinning with his whole face as the Dibbles embraced him, which was a moment Cassie says they'll all "never forget."

Upon returning to the United States, the Dibbles consulted with the world-class specialist who had taken care of Jacob about the treatments Christian would need. Dr. Laura Tosi, director of the Bone Health Program at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., recognized the severity of Christian's condition right away.

His bones had malformed into sharp "saber" shapes, and one of his shin bones was actually poking through the skin. The first of Christian's surgeries, to break and realign his left femur and insert a rod to support it, lasted about 14 hours.

In the space of a few months, he had similar operations on both femurs and shin bones. Because he had arrived in the U.S. in such difficult shape, Tosi didn't think Christian would ever walk, but she hoped he'd be able to become largely independent in his wheelchair.

But with hard work and lots of encouragement from his parents, Christian took his first steps in June with the help of a walker and leg braces. Seeing him walk into her clinic was "magnificent," Tosi says — and "so exciting."

With procedures still to be done on Christian's arms, he's defying expectations in other ways. His progress in learning English is "incredible," Cassie said, and he's learning to read and do basic math. He and Jacob also bonded quickly, as did Jack, the Dibbles' 13-year-old son, with whom Christian shares a room.

Cassie Dibble marvels at the transformation in this boy who once spent most of his time alone in a bed. "Now he's swimming around in our pool," she says, "And he's like, 'Mom,' – because we watched the Paralympics last summer – he's like, 'I'm gonna swim for America.' "