Chimp attack survivor turned HS wrestling star surprised by room full of Yankees

NEW YORK – They told Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez that he was getting a tour of Yankee Stadium. He believed it, too, right up until the elevator doors opened.

When they did, a roar of “Surprise!” filled the Delta SKY360° Suite behind home plate, revealing a room packed with friends and family. It was the kind of sendoff that will surely greet scores of incoming college freshmen this summer, but Dunia’s story is anything but ordinary.

A survivor of a childhood chimpanzee attack in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dunia endured severe facial and limb trauma that required more than a dozen surgeries. On Day 2 of HOPE Week, the Yankees honored Dunia and the Smile Rescue Fund for Kids, helping celebrate the next chapter of his life.

“I just hope that people learn to never judge a book by its cover and get to know somebody before they think they know them,” Dunia said. “People just have to believe in themselves.”

Now a graduating high school senior and wrestling star on his way to the University of North Carolina, Dunia enjoyed a patio party on Tuesday with a guest list that included Yankees captain Aaron Judge among a contingent of players and coaches.

“He’s a smart individual; he beat me in Connect Four,” Judge said. “He’s on his way to do some great things. It didn’t matter what has happened to him in his life, the good and the bad. He’s showing up with a smile, and I think you can see it in all the friends and family, how excited they are.”

David Bednar, Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe and assistant pitching coach Preston Claiborne were also part of the celebration, which paid tribute to Dunia’s perseverance and the support system that has helped carry him forward.

“What he’s been able to overcome, and to do it with such a positive mindset -- it’s an incredible story,” Bednar said of Dunia, who will throw a ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s game against the White Sox.

The attack took place when Dunia was 6, while he was playing in the jungle of Virunga National Park. He had been with his brother and cousin; Dunia was the lone survivor, sustaining gruesome injuries to his face, lips, left hand and right ear.

Approximately two years later, Sibomana came to Long Island through Dr. Leon Klempner, who founded Smile Rescue Fund for Kids, which identifies children in resource-poor countries who need facial or cranial surgeries.

“Our mission is to level the playing field for those who couldn’t,” Klempner said. “Time and time again, I’ve seen children that nobody is willing to care for or treat.”

As part of HOPE Week, the New York Yankees Foundation presented Smile Rescue for Kids with a $20,000 donation.

Dunia could have easily been one of those children left behind. Instead, he found a new life. Having lost his biological parents at a young age, Dunia stayed with foster families in Brooklyn and Long Island after arriving in the U.S.

He became a permanent U.S. resident on Oct. 19, 2019, and he was adopted by Miguel and Marissa Rodriguez a little more than a year later. Taking on his adopted parents’ last name, he began wrestling, where Marissa says he “found his confidence,” becoming a local sensation at Long Beach High School.

He’s now a three-time New York State champion, capturing the 123-pound title in March. Dunia said Judge is his favorite player, not only for the towering home runs, but also for the way he leads his team.

“He’s very determined to be one of the best guys out there, and he’s a great captain,” Dunia said. “I always look up to him about that, because as a varsity wrestler, I want to be a great captain for those guys.”

Judge said he was similarly impressed by Dunia, who signed a T-shirt for the Yankees star -- his first-ever autograph. Dunia also told Judge of his desire to return to Africa after his collegiate career -- perhaps to build houses or a school.

That, Dunia said, would “make my heart feel so amazing.”

“Hearing that at such a young age, to already have a plan, it just speaks volumes,” Judge said. “I’ll definitely be rooting him on in the future.”