A Novel to Challenge us All

Danny’s not your average younger brother with Down syndrome. And Alexei isn’t your average responsible older brother. How do you find your place in this world when you’re so awkwardly different than people at school and so zealously passionate about trying to just be like everyone else...Except extraordinarily different in a way that longs to leave a mark on this world?

A tribute to the life-changing work of teachers and a rebuke to war that tears families apart, In a World illustrates the sacrificial bonds of family, coping with loss, and the desperate hope for a kinder tomorrow. It examines the struggles of teenage perfectionism and the varied hues of unconditional love and grace, contentment and peace with oneself and others. Alexei, determined to achieve, and dream big for Danny, learns life lessons that can only be felt to be known. This book will challenge the way we see “others,” and take you on a personal, impassioned journey of discovery into the life of a family, and world, yearning to be whole.

Ilya Andreevich Babiy was born in Soviet Georgia just weeks after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. He is of Ukrainian descent, and bilingual in Russian. When he was just a small child, his family immigrated to the U.S. where he grew up in New York State. Ilya’s family moved to Oregon when he was in middle school. Currently he is a full-time educator at Mt. Hood Community College, and co-directs a dental pathways summer camp for high school students. He owns a business, On-Site Oral Health Care, which provides mobile dental cleanings to seniors and people with disabilities in their homes and communities. Ilya is a husband, father of three young children, and older brother to Daniel, who has Down syndrome. Many of the events in his book are based on real-life experiences. He has family living in the former USSR (Russia, Ukraine and Georgia) and has a love for world languages and cultures. His passions include spending time with family and friends, teaching, traveling, and exploring the outdoors and scenic beauty of the Great Northwest.

Ilya has over a decade of speaking experience to a variety of audiences, both live and virtual, including:

K-12 Schools

Alternative High Schools

Community College

University

Career Panels

Career Fairs

Dental Conferences

Dental CE

Faith Groups

Retirement Communities

Home Health Agencies

Special Needs Groups

Topics are tailored, and have included:

Motivational

Inclusion/Belonging

Career-Technical Education

Personal Growth & Development

Access to Dental Health Care

Dental Profession Content Matter Expertise:

Radiology

Instrumentation

Periodontology

Special Needs

Medical Emergencies

Emotional Intelligence

Entrepreneurship

Personal & Professional Growth