OUR STORY, CLOSE TO HOME, FOR
SEVERAL FAMILIES BACK IN THE
U.S..
BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE CHILDREN,
THEY WERE TRYING TO ADOPT.
>> AND I SAID, OH MY GOSH, LOOK,
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL HIM.
AND HE WAS EATING.
HE CAME UP TO US ASKING TO BE
ON CAMERA.
HE SPENT SUMMERS AND WINTERS IN
IOWA.
GETTING TO KNOW THE FAMILY WHO
WANTS TO ADOPT HIM AND HIS TWO
SIBLINGS.
>> HE'S JUST SO SPECIAL.
HE WANTS TO BE WITH US SO BAD.
AND WE HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
WE CAN'T COME TODAY.
WE'RE WAITING.
>> THE FAMILY TELLS US THAT
THERE ARE AT LEAST 300 AMERICAN
FAMILIES IN THE SAME BOAT.
>> IT'S KIND OF LIKE IF THEY'RE
OUT OF REACH AND YOU CAN'T GET
TO THEM.
>> THE OTHER FAMILY ALSO
RECOGNIZED A KID THAT THEY'RE
TRYING TO ADOPT.
THE COUPLE IS NOW IN POLAND.
ON THE BORDER, HELPING
REFUGEES.
BUT ALSO TRYING TO MOVE ALONG
THE ADOPTION OF THEIR CHILD WHO
THESE SAY TEXT THEM EVERY DAY
THAT HE'S AFRAID OF THE WAR.
>> AFTER THE LAST TWO YEARS, IN
MY HEART, HE'S BEEN MY SON.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT'S ON
PAPER.
HE'S MY SON.
>> TOM YOU'LL MISS WITH THAT
REPORTING FROM UKRAINE.
EVERY DAY, AMERICANS ARE
LOOKING TO HELP UKRAINIANS IN
ANY WAY THEY CAN.
AND SOME ARE EVEN PLANNING TO
TRAVEL TO UKRAINE TO JOIN THE
FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA OR LEND A
HAND IN SUPPORT.
TONIGHT, I AM JOINED BY ANDREW
BENNETT.
AN AMERICAN PLANNING TO TRAVEL
TO UKRAINE FROM NEW JERSEY.
I SAW THIS WEEKEND ON NIGHTLY
NEWS.
AND I SAID, THIS MAN IS THE
PRIDE OF THE GARDEN STATE.
I HAVE TO MEET HIM.
I WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY SAID IN THE
INTERVIEW WITH ABC.
WATCH THIS.
>> IF YOU SEE, AND IF YOU
UNDERSTAND HOW WE FEEL RIGHT
NOW.
HOW WE FIGHT AGAINST ALL THE
ENEMIES FOR OUR FREEDOM,
SUPPORT US.
AND NOT ONLY WITH WORDS BUT
WITH CONCRETE DIRECT STEPS.
DO IT.
AND THEN I THINK WILL WIN.
OF COURSE, TOGETHER WITH ALL OF
THE WORLD.
>> WELL, ZELENSKYY IS CALLING
FOR HELP.
THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT IS
URGING AMERICANS NOT TO GO TO
UKRAINE.
YOU DON'T HAVE A MILITARY
BACKGROUND.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
>> I AM A [INAUDIBLE]
.
I'M ABLE BODIED.
BASICALLY, YOU CAN WATCH
ZELENSKYY.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT INSPIRED, IF
IT DOESN'T MOVE ANYTHING IN.
YOU YOU'RE NOT INSPIRED.
>> WHEN WAS THE MOMENT WHEN YOU
DECIDED TO DROP EVERYTHING?
WAS IT ABOUT PATRIOTISM,
HUMANITY OR FAITH?
WE >> I WOULD SAY A LITTLE BIT
OF ALL.
A LITTLE BIT OF ALL OF THOSE
THINGS.
I IMAGINE IT IS JUST THE WAY
THE U.S. MILITARY FEELS ABOUT
THEIR COUNTRY.
AND THEY FIGHT WORDS ABROAD.
SO IT'S REALLY NO DIFFERENT.
IT IS REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAT
THESE PEOPLE NEED HELP.
AMERICA'S MILITARY SACRIFICES
EVERYTHING TO GO TO HALFWAY
AROUND THE WORLD, THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE WORLD.
THEY PUT EVERYTHING AT RISK.
THEY PUT EVERYTHING ON THE LINE
FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.
AND THEY BELIEVE IN FREEDOM.
THEY BELIEVE IN AMERICA.
AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN UKRAINE,
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WAY THAT
ZELENSKYY IS SO IMPASSIONED --
HE MATTERS WILL BE SPEAKING
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT'S THE SAME THING.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT.
IT'S JUST ACROSS IN EUROPE.
>> YOU SAID YOU AREN'T GOING
THERE TO PLAY.
WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING?
>> WELL, COMMON SENSE IS
THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING TO HAND
UNTRAINED PEOPLE WEAPONS.
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I HOUSE SOME LEADERSHIP
QUALITIES.
AND I'M GOING TO HELP OUT.
PERSONALLY, I REALLY WANT TO
HELP GET PEOPLE IN AND OUT.
TRANSPORTING SOME TYPE OF
SECURITY.
I WANT TO BE BETWEEN THEM.
I WANT TO STAND BETWEEN THESE
PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING
EVERYTHING DESTROYED IN THEIR
LIVES AND EVIL.
IT'S REALLY NO MORE COMPLICATED
THAN THAT.
>> HOW DID YOUR FRIENDS AND
FAMILY REACT WHEN YOU SAID, YOU
SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN UKRAINE?
I'M GOING TO JOIN THE FIGHT?
WHAT DID THEY SAY?
>> WELL, MY FRIENDS CIRCLE IS
VERY SMALL.
IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A WHILE.
AND I KIND OF SEE WHAT GOD'S
BEEN DOING FOR KIND OF GETTING
USED TO BEING ISOLATED.
KIND OF GETTING ME USED TO
GOING OUT WITH FOOD SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES I GO TO WORK AND I
DON'T HAVE AN APPETITE, I DON'T
SLEEP TOO MUCH.
AND I CAN SEE WHY THIS HAS BEEN
GOING ON.
I DON'T LIKE COMFORT.
I'VE BEEN COMFORTABLE MY WHOLE
LIFE HERE.
IT'S A WONDERFUL COUNTRY.
IT'S THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON
EARTH, AT THE MOMENT.
IN MY OPINION.
I'M VERY PRIVILEGED.
I HAVE A GREAT JOB, GREAT PAY,
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AND I WANT
TO TAKE WHAT'S BEEN GIVING ME
FREELY, I WANT TO GIVE IT
FREELY TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE AS FAR AS MY EFFORT GOES.
I WANT MY HANDS TO BE OVER
THERE DOING SOMETHING FOR THEM.
I WANT THESE FEE TO BE OVER
THERE DOING SOMETHING FOR THEM.
>> ARE YOU IN TOUCH
ORGANIZATIONS THERE?
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING
WHEN YOU LAND?
>> I'M MAKING CONTACTS AS I GO.
I'M MEETING SOME UKRAINIAN
PEOPLE AT MY JOB.
THEY'RE TELLING ME, NOT TO
WORRY ABOUT IT.
I HAVE PEOPLE THERE TO CONNECT
YOU WITH.
>> YOU HAVE TWO SISTERS.
WHAT IF THEY TOLD YOU?
>> I'M.
>> IS ANYONE SAYING NOT TO GO?
>> YES, THEY UNDERSTAND.
>> --
>> IT HAS TO BE FAITH TO BE
HONEST WITH YOU.
AS ZELENSKYY SAID, GODDESS WITH
THEM.
WE SO, IF YOU HAVE A CERTAIN
LEVEL OF FAITH, AND I'M NOT
SAYING THAT I HAVE THE CERTAIN
LEVEL OF FAITH, BUT I AM SAYING
THIS, IT'S LIKE HAVING A
WINNING LOTTERY.
A LOTTERY TICKET.
AND YOU'RE NOT AFRAID TO GO
SPEND THE LAST BIT OF YOUR
MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE
SOMETHING WAITING FOR YOU.
>> AND YOU SAY BEING BORN IN
THE UNITED STATES IS LIKE
LIVING WITH THE WINNING LOTTERY
TICKET?
WE >> WELL, FAITH CRISIS AND
GOD, BEING BORN IN THE UNITED
STATES IS DEFINITELY AN
ADVANTAGE.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE WE COULD BUY
SOMETHING FOR $2 AND SOLID FOR
FIVE.
>> WELL, I BELIEVE THE NEXT