Allen Sherwood had a mission to rescue five children from Kyiv, WPXI reported.
But he, and a priest, also from Pittsburgh, have helped get dozens more out of the war-torn region.
Sherwood and Father Jason Charron from Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church traveled through four countries to get 36 children —22 of them orphans— and six adults out of Ukraine and into a hotel in the Czech Republic.
Sherwood made the decision after meeting a Ukrainian child named Karina who visited his family over Christmas.
“She was sitting on my lap, and we were just talking about Christmas and things. And I said to her, ‘No matter where you are in this world, if anything ever went wrong, I would help you out. I would always be there.’ That’s how this all started,” Sherwood told WPXI.
Sherwood sent an email to parishioners in the Pittsburgh area after bombs were heard exploding outside of the orphanage.
Shortly after the messages were sent, he got responses from families who were in the process of adopting children from the same orphanage, asking if he could get those children out as well.
Sherwood now is facing a challenge as he holes up in a Czech Republic hotel with the priest, adults and dozens of children, WPXI reported.
He would like to bring them to America, but much of the paperwork needed to do that, including the children’s identification, was left behind in Kyiv and possibly does not exist anymore.
Sherwood and Charron are making sure the children are safe and that they stay with their legal guardian as he tries to manage the process that could continue their adoptions.
The children could also use some help.
An account has been set up with Dollar Bank for donations for Ukrainian orphans who will eventually get to Pittsburgh.
You can mail donations to:
Dollar Bank
Ukrainian Orphans’ Care Fund
P.O. Box 3500
Pittsburgh, PA 15230
Invasion A woman runs as she flees with her family across a destroyed bridge in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2. 2022. Russia renewed its assault Wednesday on Ukraine’s second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Invasion A family arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, after fleeing from the Ukraine. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) (Visar Kryeziu/AP)
Invasion A family arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, after fleeing from the Ukraine. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) (Visar Kryeziu/AP)
Invasion A woman carries her dog across the border from Ukraine to Siret, Romania, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, amid Russia´s invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) (Fernando Llano/AP)
Invasion A woman cries outside houses damaged by a Russian airstrike, according to locals, in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine's second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
Invasion Passengers rush to board a train leaving to Slovakia from the Lviv railway station, in Lviv, west Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) (Felipe Dana/AP)
Invasion A woman cries in the small basement of a house crowded with people seeking shelter from Russian airstrikes, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine's second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
Invasion Andrey Goncharuk, 68, right, a member of the territorial defense speaks to a man in the backyard of a house damaged by a Russian airstrike, according to locals, in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine's second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
Invasion Ukrainian soldiers take positions in a trench on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Invasion Andrey Goncharuk, 68, a member of territorial defense, walks in the backyard of a house damaged by a Russian airstrike, according to locals, in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine's second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (Vadim Ghirda/AP)
Invasion Refugees fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine carry bags shortly after crossing the border in Siret, Romania, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. The U.N. refugee agency says more than 874,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion last week and the figure is "rising exponentially," putting it on track to cross the 1 million mark possibly within hours. (AP Photo/Renata Brito) (Renata Brito/AP)
Invasion A neighbor carries a child as he helps a fleeing family across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2. 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Invasion A family arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, after fleeing from the Ukraine. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber/AP)
Invasion Children arrive in a car, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, after fleeing from the Ukraine. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber/AP)
Invasion A man leaves Poland to fight in Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber/AP)
Invasion A family arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, after fleeing from the Ukraine. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber/AP)
Invasion Smoke and flames are seen inside a damaged gym following shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine’s leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Invasion Deserted suitcase and a baby cart are left beside the road as Ukrainian refugees flee Russian invasion at a border crossing in Medyka, Poland, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that about 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began.(AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) (Visar Kryeziu/AP)
Invasion Family which fled from the war in Ukraine reunite after crossing the border in Medyka, southeastern Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that about 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) (Visar Kryeziu/AP)
Invasion A woman gives water to her dog as other people gather in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Invasion A view of the TV tower and surrounding area, after bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Invasion A man carries combat gear as he leaves Poland to fight in Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber/AP)
Invasion An armed man stands at the empty Independent Square (Maidan) in the center of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Ukraine’s leader decried Russia's escalation of attacks on crowded cities as a blatant terror campaign, while President Joe Biden warned that if the Russian leader didn't “pay a price” for the invasion, the aggression wouldn’t stop with one country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Invasion A journalist walks past a damaged gym following shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Invasion A view of smoke from inside a damaged gym following shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)