SAN ANTONIO — As a San Antonio man watched the news about the Russian invasion, his heart broke.
He learned about Ukrainian children who were days away from adoption getting left behind.
He decided to take action. For Cambell Westmoreland, this mission is personal.
"You're disappointed. Anybody who believes in freedom and democracy," Westmoreland said of the violence in Ukraine.
Cambell Westmoreland can't help but think, 25 years ago, it could have been him in a similar situation.
He was born in 1996 in Moscow, Russia. He says his biological mother left the hospital after giving birth. He remained there for six months before being moved to an orphanage.
"I lived in the orphanage for 12 months, and at 18 months old my family adopted me," said Westmoreland. "I've always said if I ever win the lottery, it would be the second time."
That moment, he says, was his "winning ticket".
"Every day I'm grateful," he explained. "Every day, I look at how I can pay it forward."
Watching adoptions in Ukraine being put on pause hit close to home for Westmoreland.
"The innocence that is caught in the crossfire on both sides is really upsetting," he said. "Hearing parents talk about the stories of, 'We were two days away and now we don't know where they are. We don't know what's going on'."
So he did some research and found Kidsave, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charity working to get Ukrainian orphans out of the country.
"The stars aligned. The founder adopted a child from Russia in 1993," said Westmoreland. "It was like, 'Whoa! This is what we need to donate to'."
Within two days, he doubled his financial goal of $2,000 and has since raised the goal to $10,000. View his GoFundMe page here.
Westmoreland's first goal with the money is to get Ukrainian orphans out of the country safely. Second, he hopes to raise more awareness for international adoptions. He's planning to send the money abroad possibly within the next week.
"My blood may be Russian, but my heart's American," he said. "Let's see what we can do San Antonio...Let's give those kids the winning ticket."
*A special thanks to the Encino Branch - San Antonio Public Library for accommodating our interview