Mary Dudley engaged in charitable work at orphanages in Moscow, Russia while she was a resident from 1994 to 1997. During this time, she met a charming little boy named Diema at baby orphanage #17. Although Diema has hydrocephalous and is paralyzed from the waist down, his intelligence and sense of humor were the qualities Mary first noticed about him. During her many visits to the orphanage, Mary often spent time holding and playing with Diema.

When Diema turned 5, he was transferred to an asylum for older children. Although Mary tried to discover Diema's whereabouts, she was unable to obtain any information from the State. Through hearsay, Mary learned that Diema might be living at one of the worst asylums in Moscow. Heartbroken and refused permission by authorities to visit Diema, Mary was convinced that Diema would not survive long in this "death" house.

Unbeknownst to Mary during her search for Diema, a secret film had been made documenting the horrendous living conditions in this orphanage. The film was shown in several countries in Europe and, as a result, the orphanage was closed. Leonid Mogilevsky, a Russian with a heart for disabled children, lobbied the government for permission to participate in caring for these children. Due to the tremendous outpouring of support in response to the airing of the film, funds were raised to temporarily support Leonid's program.

By word of mouth, Mary learned of a man who might know of Diema's whereabouts. That man's name was Leonid Mogilevsky, and Mary was soon to discover that Diema was not only still alive, but was safe and sound under Leonid's watchful care.

Diema was one of the "lucky" children to have been saved from certain death in one of Moscow's most brutal asylums. In finding Diema, Mary also discovered the selfless man working within the orphanage system to change the future for all Russia's disabled children.

After Mary left Moscow, she found she could not leave the welfare of these children behind. Leonid and his volunteers, through their selfless and diligent efforts, with limited funding and many obstacles, were trying to save "one child at a time." Mary knew that she had to help.

Diema's Dream Foundation is the direct result of Mary Dudley's decision to join Leonid in his efforts to restore dignity and promise to the disabled children of Russia. Diema's Dream Foundation was established in order to help launch Leonid Mogilevsky's pivotal orphanage-reform program. This program exists in order to change society's view of disabled children, to improve the conditions under which these children live, and, most importantly, to save these children from certain death. Diema's Dream became a reality in 1998 and continues to raise funds to provide financial, medical, and educational, support for both physically and mentally disabled children in Russia.